CVE-2016-7448 in GraphicsMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The Utah RLE reader in GraphicsMagick before 1.3.25 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or large memory allocations) via vectors involving the header information and the file size.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7448 affects the Utah RLE reader component within GraphicsMagick library versions prior to 1.3.25. This issue represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to exploit the image processing functionality through carefully crafted header information and file size manipulation. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of Utah RLE image format files, which are commonly used in scientific and medical imaging applications where GraphicsMagick serves as a robust image processing library.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory allocation handling within the Utah RLE reader implementation. When processing maliciously crafted Utah RLE files, the library fails to properly validate header parameters and file size indicators, leading to unpredictable memory allocation patterns and excessive CPU consumption. Attackers can manipulate the header information to specify unusually large dimensions or compression parameters that cause the library to allocate massive amounts of memory or enter infinite processing loops. This vulnerability operates at the parsing layer of the image processing pipeline, where the library reads and interprets file headers before attempting to decode the actual image data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise entire systems that rely on GraphicsMagick for image processing tasks. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to consume excessive system resources, leading to system instability, application crashes, or complete system hangs. In environments where GraphicsMagick is used for automated image processing workflows, this vulnerability could enable attackers to disrupt critical services or create resource exhaustion conditions that affect multiple concurrent users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web applications that accept user-uploaded images, as it allows attackers to craft malicious files that can be processed by the application without proper authentication or authorization checks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7448 should focus on immediate patching of GraphicsMagick installations to version 1.3.25 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for header validation and memory allocation controls. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as input sanitization, file size limits, and resource monitoring for image processing components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unchecked resource allocation, and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for network denial of service attacks. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious file processing patterns and establish proper access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable image processing services. Regular security assessments of image processing pipelines and comprehensive testing of file format parsers should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the software stack.