CVE-2016-2116 in Jasper
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in the jas_iccprof_createfrombuf function in JasPer 1.900.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a crafted ICC color profile in a JPEG 2000 image file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2116 represents a critical memory leak flaw within the JasPer library version 1.900.1 and earlier, which serves as a foundational component for handling JPEG 2000 image format processing in numerous software applications. This memory leak specifically manifests within the jas_iccprof_createfrombuf function, which is responsible for creating ICC color profiles from buffer data. The flaw occurs when processing malformed ICC color profiles embedded within JPEG 2000 image files, creating a scenario where the application fails to properly release allocated memory resources during the profile creation process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the JasPer library's ICC profile handling mechanism. When a remote attacker crafts a specially designed ICC color profile and embeds it within a JPEG 2000 file, the jas_iccprof_createfrombuf function processes this malformed data without sufficient validation or proper resource cleanup procedures. This results in allocated memory blocks that are not properly deallocated, causing progressive memory consumption within the affected application. The vulnerability operates at the application level where the library is invoked to parse image files, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal image processing workflows without requiring special privileges or authentication.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute effective denial of service attacks against systems that utilize the vulnerable JasPer library. The memory leak accumulates over time as the application processes multiple malformed JPEG 2000 files, leading to progressive memory exhaustion that can ultimately cause application crashes or system instability. The impact extends beyond individual application failures to potentially affect entire service availability, particularly in environments where image processing is critical such as web servers, content management systems, or media processing platforms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper release of memory, and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion attacks that can be classified under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-2116 primarily focus on immediate remediation through library updates to versions that have addressed this memory leak issue. System administrators should prioritize upgrading to JasPer 2.0.0 or later versions where the memory management has been significantly improved and the vulnerability has been resolved. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization measures at the application level can provide defense-in-depth protection by filtering out malformed ICC profiles before they reach the vulnerable library functions. Network-level controls such as content filtering and image validation can also help prevent malicious JPEG 2000 files from reaching systems that process user-uploaded content. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in cryptographic and image processing libraries, as these components often serve as attack vectors due to their widespread use and the complex nature of image format parsing operations.