CVE-2016-10271 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
tools/tiffcrop.c in LibTIFF 4.0.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer over-read and buffer overflow) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted TIFF image, related to "READ of size 1" and libtiff/tif_fax3.c:413:13.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10271 resides within the LibTIFF library version 4.0.7, specifically in the tools/tiffcrop.c component that processes TIFF image files. This flaw represents a critical security issue that can be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system availability and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability manifests through improper input validation when processing specially crafted TIFF images, creating conditions that lead to heap-based buffer over-reads and buffer overflows. These memory corruption issues occur during the parsing of TIFF file structures, particularly when handling fax compression data as referenced in libtiff/tif_fax3.c at line 413.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves attackers crafting malicious TIFF files that contain malformed data structures designed to trigger memory access violations. The specific location of the issue in tif_fax3.c at line 413 indicates that the problem originates from fax compression handling routines where the software attempts to read data from memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of heap-based buffer over-read occurs when the application reads more data than allocated, potentially exposing sensitive memory contents or causing application crashes. The buffer overflow component arises when the software writes beyond the bounds of allocated memory regions, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be leveraged for more severe attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can potentially enable remote code execution or information disclosure depending on the system configuration and memory layout. Systems that process untrusted TIFF images, such as web servers, image processing applications, or document management systems, become vulnerable to exploitation. The vulnerability affects any application that utilizes LibTIFF 4.0.7 for image processing, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users can upload or process external image files. Attackers can leverage this flaw to cause application crashes, leading to persistent denial of service conditions, or potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with updated LibTIFF versions that contain the necessary fixes for buffer handling and input validation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures that sanitize all TIFF file inputs before processing, particularly focusing on fax compression data handling. Network segmentation and access controls should limit exposure of systems that process TIFF images to trusted sources only. Additionally, implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention can help mitigate the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions, while potentially mapping to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and denial of service through memory corruption attacks.