CVE-2016-10270 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
LibTIFF 4.0.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer over-read) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted TIFF image, related to "READ of size 8" and libtiff/tif_read.c:523:22.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10270 affects LibTIFF version 4.0.7 and represents a critical heap-based buffer over-read condition that can be exploited remotely through maliciously crafted TIFF image files. This flaw resides within the tif_read.c source file at line 523, where a READ operation of size 8 occurs without proper bounds checking, creating a potential pathway for attackers to manipulate memory access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to information disclosure, system instability, or arbitrary code execution depending on the specific implementation and memory layout.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves constructing a specially formatted TIFF image that triggers the buffer over-read during the image parsing process. When the LibTIFF library attempts to read 8 bytes from a heap-allocated memory region, insufficient validation occurs to ensure that the requested memory access remains within the bounds of the allocated buffer. This condition can result in the library reading beyond the intended memory boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data from adjacent memory locations or causing the application to crash due to memory corruption. The heap-based nature of the vulnerability suggests that the attacker can influence the memory layout through the crafted input, making the exploitation more predictable and dangerous.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process TIFF image files, including web applications, image processing servers, and document management systems. The remote attack vector means that adversaries can exploit this flaw without requiring local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. The potential for unspecified other impacts indicates that beyond simple denial of service, the vulnerability could enable more sophisticated attacks such as information disclosure or privilege escalation depending on the target system's memory protection mechanisms. Organizations using vulnerable LibTIFF versions face risks of service disruption, data leakage, and potential system compromise.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the LibTIFF library to version 4.0.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer over-read condition. System administrators should also implement input validation measures that scan TIFF files for malformed structures before processing, utilizing sandboxing techniques to isolate image processing operations. Network-level defenses including content filtering and web application firewalls can help prevent malicious TIFF files from reaching vulnerable systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services through malformed input, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to memory corruption vulnerabilities that require comprehensive defensive measures across multiple security layers.