CVE-2016-7516 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The ReadVIFFImage function in coders/viff.c in ImageMagick allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read) via a crafted VIFF file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7516 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within ImageMagick's VIFF image format handling component. This issue specifically affects the ReadVIFFImage function located in the coders/viff.c source file, which processes VIFF (Virtual Image Format) files used for storing multi-channel image data. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and bounds checking when parsing maliciously crafted VIFF files, creating a scenario where remote attackers can exploit this weakness to trigger memory access violations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of image header fields and metadata within VIFF files. When ImageMagick attempts to read a VIFF file, the ReadVIFFImage function processes various header parameters without adequate validation of array indices or buffer boundaries. This allows attackers to construct VIFF files containing malformed data that causes the application to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. Such out-of-bounds memory access typically results in application crashes, leading to denial of service conditions that can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or special privileges.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process user-uploaded images or handle image file conversions in web applications, content management systems, or file processing services. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can trigger the vulnerability simply by uploading or sharing a malicious VIFF file, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users can submit arbitrary image files. The denial of service impact can be substantial, potentially causing application downtime, resource exhaustion, or system instability across multiple service endpoints that rely on ImageMagick for image processing.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read, which specifically addresses improper bounds checking in memory operations. This weakness falls under the broader category of memory safety issues that frequently appear in image processing libraries due to the complex nature of image format parsing and the variety of data structures involved in different file formats. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution and T1499 System Shutdown, as it enables remote code execution through service disruption and can be leveraged to cause system-wide availability issues. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating ImageMagick to patched versions, implementing input validation for image files, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing operations and establishing automated scanning of uploaded content to prevent malicious files from reaching processing systems.