CVE-2016-1867 in Jasper
Summary
by MITRE
The jpc_pi_nextcprl function in JasPer 1.900.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and application crash) via a crafted JPEG 2000 image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1867 resides within the JasPer library version 1.900.1, specifically in the jpc_pi_nextcprl function that processes JPEG 2000 image files. This flaw represents a classic out-of-bounds read condition that can be exploited by remote attackers through the careful crafting of malicious JPEG 2000 image files. The vulnerability manifests when the application attempts to process malformed image data that exceeds the expected boundaries of memory allocations, leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the JPEG 2000 parsing logic of the JasPer library. When the jpc_pi_nextcprl function processes compressed image data, it fails to properly bounds-check array accesses or validate header field values that define the size and structure of image components. This allows an attacker to construct a JPEG 2000 file with malformed parameters that cause the function to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The out-of-bounds memory access typically results in segmentation faults or access violations that terminate the application process, creating a denial of service condition that can be reliably triggered by remote attackers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process or render JPEG 2000 images, including web applications, image processing servers, and multimedia applications that utilize the JasPer library. The remote exploitability means that attackers can trigger the vulnerability without requiring local access or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing environments where users might upload or view images. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the vulnerability can be leveraged in broader attack chains where denial of service serves as a precursor to more sophisticated exploitation techniques or can be used to destabilize systems in preparation for additional compromises.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of JasPer should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the library, implementing input validation controls for JPEG 2000 image processing, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious image file patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses insufficient bounds checking, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Additionally, this flaw demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in image processing libraries and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of multimedia parsing components to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other image format handlers.