CVE-2016-7445 in OpenJPEG
Summary
by MITRE
convert.c in OpenJPEG before 2.1.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via vectors involving the variable s.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7445 affects OpenJPEG versions prior to 2.1.2 and represents a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers to crash applications. This issue resides within the convert.c file, which is part of the OpenJPEG library responsible for handling JPEG 2000 image format conversions and processing. The flaw manifests when the application encounters specific malformed input data during the conversion process, specifically involving the variable s which appears to be improperly validated or initialized.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from a NULL pointer dereference condition that occurs when the application attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been properly initialized or has been set to NULL. This particular weakness falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which is a well-documented software flaw that can lead to application crashes and system instability. When an attacker crafts malicious JPEG 2000 files that trigger this condition, the application fails to handle the unexpected state gracefully and instead crashes, potentially allowing for a denial of service attack against systems relying on OpenJPEG for image processing.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7445 extends beyond simple application crashes as it can be leveraged in broader attack scenarios within the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category of Network Denial of Service. Systems that utilize OpenJPEG for processing user-uploaded images, document conversion services, or medical imaging applications become particularly vulnerable to this attack vector. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the target system, making this vulnerability especially dangerous in web-facing applications. Organizations using vulnerable versions of OpenJPEG may experience service interruptions, data processing failures, and potential business disruption when attackers exploit this weakness through crafted input files.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate upgrading to OpenJPEG version 2.1.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the NULL pointer dereference issue. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures can provide defense in depth, ensuring that malformed JPEG 2000 files are rejected before they can trigger the vulnerable code path. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of application crashes or service interruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for image processing operations and establishing robust patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all systems utilizing OpenJPEG components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management and input validation in cryptographic and multimedia processing libraries where remote code execution risks may be present.