CVE-2016-9581 in OpenJPEG
Summary
by MITRE
An infinite loop vulnerability in tiftoimage that results in heap buffer overflow in convert_32s_C1P1 was found in openjpeg 2.1.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9581 represents a critical security flaw within the openjpeg library version 2.1.2, specifically affecting the tiftoimage utility component. This issue manifests as an infinite loop condition that ultimately leads to a heap buffer overflow during the execution of the convert_32s_C1P1 function. The flaw occurs when processing certain malformed or specially crafted image files, creating a scenario where the application enters a continuous loop without proper termination conditions, consuming excessive system resources and potentially leading to system instability or denial of service.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the image processing pipeline of openjpeg. When the tiftoimage utility encounters specific malformed data structures within TIFF files, the processing logic fails to properly validate the data dimensions and memory allocation requirements. This deficiency allows an attacker to craft malicious input that triggers the infinite loop condition, where the loop counter or iteration logic becomes stuck in a perpetual state. The subsequent heap buffer overflow occurs as the system attempts to allocate memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries, potentially allowing for memory corruption that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that rely on openjpeg for image processing tasks, particularly in environments handling untrusted image data from external sources. The infinite loop behavior can cause substantial resource exhaustion, leading to denial of service conditions that may affect legitimate users and applications. The heap buffer overflow component introduces additional security concerns as it could potentially be leveraged by attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources or manipulate application behavior. Organizations using openjpeg in web applications, image processing pipelines, or any system that processes user-uploaded images face heightened risk exposure from this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-9581 should prioritize immediate patching of affected openjpeg installations to version 2.1.3 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the infinite loop and buffer overflow conditions. System administrators should implement input validation measures to filter potentially malicious image files before processing, including implementing strict file format validation and size limitations. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable openjpeg versions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-835, which specifically addresses infinite loops that can lead to denial of service conditions, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for denial of service through resource exhaustion. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous resource consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other components of the image processing pipeline that may share similar architectural vulnerabilities.