CVE-2016-10065 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The ReadVIFFImage function in coders/viff.c in ImageMagick before 7.0.1-0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or other unspecified impact via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10065 resides within the ImageMagick image processing library, specifically in the ReadVIFFImage function located in the coders/viff.c file. This flaw represents a critical security issue that affects versions of ImageMagick prior to 7.0.1-0, exposing systems that utilize this library to potential denial of service attacks or unspecified security impacts. The vulnerability manifests when the library processes specially crafted image files that exploit memory handling inconsistencies within the VIFF (Virtual Image File Format) reading functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the ReadVIFFImage function. When ImageMagick encounters a malformed VIFF file, the function fails to properly handle the unexpected data structure, leading to memory corruption or access violations that cause the application to crash. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read errors. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited through crafted input files, making it particularly dangerous in environments where ImageMagick processes untrusted image data from external sources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to web applications, content management systems, and any platform that relies on ImageMagick for image processing tasks. Attackers can leverage this flaw by uploading maliciously crafted image files that, when processed by the vulnerable ImageMagick version, trigger application crashes and potential system instability. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the vulnerability may enable more sophisticated attacks depending on the execution environment and memory layout. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities for system compromise, and represents a common vector for remote code execution attempts in image processing applications.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-10065 requires immediate upgrading to ImageMagick version 7.0.1-0 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory handling issues in the ReadVIFFImage function. Organizations should also implement input validation measures, including file type verification and size limitations, to reduce exposure while awaiting upgrades. Additional protective measures include restricting image processing capabilities to trusted sources, implementing sandboxed processing environments, and monitoring for unusual application behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious image file uploads, particularly those that might trigger known vulnerabilities in image processing libraries. The vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping image processing libraries updated and implementing proper input sanitization protocols to prevent exploitation of memory corruption flaws in widely used software components.