CVE-2016-10063 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in coders/tiff.c in ImageMagick before 6.9.5-1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or have other unspecified impact via a crafted file, related to extend validity.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10063 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within ImageMagick's TIFF image processing module, specifically in the coders/tiff.c file. This flaw affects versions prior to 6.9.5-1 and demonstrates the classic characteristics of a memory corruption vulnerability that can be exploited through crafted malicious input files. The buffer overflow occurs during the processing of TIFF image files, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, potentially leading to unpredictable application behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of image data structures within the TIFF coder component. When ImageMagick processes a specially crafted TIFF file, the application fails to validate the size and structure of various data elements before attempting to copy or manipulate them into fixed-size buffers. This lack of input validation creates an exploitable condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, leading to application instability or potential code execution. The vulnerability specifically relates to the extend validity checks that should ensure proper handling of image metadata and pixel data structures during the decoding process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that process untrusted image files, particularly those that rely on ImageMagick for automated image handling or web-based image processing services. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to trigger application crashes, resulting in denial of service conditions that can disrupt legitimate operations and potentially impact availability of critical services. The unspecified nature of additional impacts suggests that under certain conditions, this vulnerability could potentially be escalated to achieve more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution, though the primary documented impact remains denial of service and system instability.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, representing exploitation of input validation weaknesses in software libraries. Organizations using ImageMagick in production environments should prioritize immediate patching to version 6.9.5-1 or later, as this represents the first release that includes the necessary fixes to prevent the buffer overflow condition. Additional mitigations include implementing strict file validation policies, deploying sandboxing mechanisms for image processing, and establishing robust input sanitization procedures to prevent malformed image files from reaching the vulnerable code paths. Network-level protections such as content filtering and application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective solution remains the timely application of vendor security patches.