CVE-2016-2329 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
libavcodec/tiff.c in FFmpeg before 2.8.6 does not properly validate RowsPerStrip values and YCbCr chrominance subsampling factors, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds array access) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted TIFF file, related to the tiff_decode_tag and decode_frame functions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2329 represents a critical security flaw within the FFmpeg multimedia framework, specifically affecting the libavcodec/tiff.c component. This issue arises from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize the RowsPerStrip values and YCbCr chrominance subsampling factors present in TIFF image files. The flaw exists in FFmpeg versions prior to 2.8.6, making a substantial portion of deployed multimedia processing systems susceptible to exploitation. The vulnerability manifests when the affected software processes maliciously crafted TIFF files that contain malformed metadata parameters, creating a dangerous condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt system operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the tiff_decode_tag and decode_frame functions, which are responsible for parsing and processing TIFF file structures. When these functions encounter TIFF files with invalid or excessive RowsPerStrip values, they fail to validate whether the specified values fall within acceptable ranges, leading to out-of-bounds array access conditions. Additionally, the YCbCr chrominance subsampling factors are not properly validated, allowing attackers to specify values that exceed the allocated memory boundaries during image decompression operations. This combination of validation failures creates multiple attack vectors that can be exploited to trigger memory corruption conditions, ultimately resulting in denial of service scenarios or potentially more severe consequences depending on the execution context.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2329 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as the vulnerability can potentially enable more sophisticated attacks depending on the environment where FFmpeg is deployed. Remote attackers can craft malicious TIFF files that, when processed by vulnerable FFmpeg implementations, will cause system crashes, application hangs, or memory corruption that may lead to arbitrary code execution in certain scenarios. The vulnerability affects any system that utilizes FFmpeg for TIFF file processing, including web applications, media servers, content management systems, and digital asset management platforms. Given FFmpeg's widespread adoption across numerous applications and operating systems, the potential attack surface is extensive, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on multimedia processing capabilities.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array index values, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The attack pattern follows the ATT&CK framework's technique T1203, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in software libraries to achieve system compromise. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected FFmpeg installations to address this vulnerability, as the remediation process is straightforward and does not require complex system modifications. Additionally, implementing proper input validation measures at the application level, including TIFF file sanitization and parameter validation, can provide additional defense-in-depth layers against similar vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and access controls should be considered to limit exposure of systems that process untrusted TIFF content, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar validation weaknesses in other multimedia processing components.