CVE-2016-10053 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The WriteTIFFImage function in coders/tiff.c in ImageMagick before 6.9.5-8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10053 represents a critical denial of service flaw within ImageMagick's TIFF image processing capabilities. This issue affects versions prior to 6.9.5-8 and stems from improper input validation within the WriteTIFFImage function located in the coders/tiff.c source file. The vulnerability manifests when the software encounters a specially crafted TIFF file that contains malformed data structures, specifically triggering a divide-by-zero error during the image writing process.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of TIFF file headers and metadata fields that control the image compression and data organization parameters. When ImageMagick attempts to process these maliciously constructed files, the software's internal arithmetic operations encounter zero-valued divisors, causing immediate system crashes and application termination. This behavior constitutes a classic denial of service condition where legitimate users cannot access the service due to the application's instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that rely on ImageMagick for image processing tasks, particularly web applications and content management systems that accept user-uploaded images. Attackers can leverage this flaw to disrupt services by submitting malicious TIFF files that cause the processing application to crash repeatedly, potentially leading to complete service unavailability. The impact extends beyond simple disruption as the vulnerability can be exploited in automated attack scenarios where multiple instances of the application are targeted simultaneously.
The underlying flaw aligns with CWE-369, which categorizes divide-by-zero errors as a common weakness in software design that can lead to system instability and potential information disclosure. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks through application layer exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate error handling mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize external data before processing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10053 require immediate patching of affected ImageMagick installations to version 6.9.5-8 or later, which includes proper input validation and error handling for TIFF file processing. Organizations should implement additional protective measures such as input sanitization, file type validation, and restricted file upload permissions to prevent malicious files from reaching the processing layer. Network-level protections including intrusion detection systems and application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious file upload patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other image processing libraries and applications. System administrators must also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing tasks to isolate potential crashes from affecting overall system stability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched systems to ensure that legitimate image processing functionality remains intact while the vulnerability is eliminated.