CVE-2016-6855 in Eye of GNOME
Summary
by MITRE
Eye of GNOME (aka eog) 3.16.5, 3.17.x, 3.18.x before 3.18.3, 3.19.x, and 3.20.x before 3.20.4, when used with glib before 2.44.1, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and crash) via vectors involving passing invalid UTF-8 to GMarkup.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6855 affects the Eye of GNOME (eog) image viewer application, which is part of the GNOME desktop environment's standard image viewing suite. This flaw specifically impacts versions 3.16.5, 3.17.x, 3.18.x prior to 3.18.3, 3.19.x, and 3.20.x before 3.20.4, creating a critical security gap when the application operates in conjunction with glib versions earlier than 2.44.1. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed UTF-8 sequences within the GMarkup parsing functionality, which forms a core component of the application's text processing capabilities. This issue represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability that manifests through out-of-bounds write operations, ultimately leading to application instability and potential system crashes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the eog application processes image files containing specially crafted invalid UTF-8 sequences within metadata fields such as EXIF data or embedded text. When these malformed sequences are passed through the GMarkup parser, the application fails to properly validate input boundaries, resulting in memory corruption that triggers an out-of-bounds write operation. This memory corruption directly leads to a crash of the application process, effectively causing a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing image files through the Eye of GNOME viewer. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple application instability as it can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt system availability, particularly in environments where automated image processing or web-based image viewing is common.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to desktop environments that rely heavily on GNOME applications and may be exploited in targeted attacks against users of the Eye of GNOME viewer. The vulnerability can be triggered through various attack vectors including malicious image files shared via email, web downloads, or file transfer protocols, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently access external content. The flaw's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates how improper input validation can lead to memory corruption issues. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require elevated privileges and can be executed through simple file manipulation, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6855 should prioritize immediate patching of affected eog versions to 3.18.3 or later, alongside updating the underlying glib library to version 2.44.1 or higher. System administrators should implement strict file validation procedures for image files, particularly those from untrusted sources, and consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Organizations should also establish robust patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all desktop environments. The vulnerability's remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers may leverage such vulnerabilities to establish persistent access through compromised desktop applications. Additionally, the flaw demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in GUI applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of desktop software components that handle external data inputs.