CVE-2017-1000127 in Exiv2
Summary
by MITRE
Exiv2 0.26 contains a heap buffer overflow in tiff parser
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2017-1000127 represents a critical heap buffer overflow flaw within the Exiv2 library version 0.26, specifically within its TIFF parser component. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and memory management practices when processing TIFF image files, creating a potential exploitation vector for remote attackers. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which encompasses heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. Such flaws are particularly dangerous in image processing libraries since they can be triggered through routine file parsing operations without requiring specialized privileges or user interaction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the TIFF parser encounters malformed or specially crafted image data structures that exceed expected buffer sizes. The parser fails to properly validate the dimensions and data lengths of TIFF metadata fields, allowing an attacker to construct malicious TIFF files that trigger memory corruption during the parsing process. When the library attempts to read or process oversized data segments, it writes beyond the allocated heap memory regions, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including function pointers, return addresses, or other critical program state information. This memory corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service conditions, or information disclosure depending on the specific memory layout and exploitation circumstances.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-1000127 extends across numerous software applications and systems that rely on Exiv2 for image metadata handling. Given that Exiv2 is widely integrated into content management systems, digital asset management platforms, photo editing applications, and web services processing user-uploaded images, the vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations across multiple sectors. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute malicious code on vulnerable systems when processing crafted TIFF files, potentially compromising server integrity, accessing sensitive data, or establishing persistent backdoors. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and persistent access. Systems running vulnerable versions of Exiv2 are particularly at risk when processing untrusted image content from web applications, email attachments, or user-generated media.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Exiv2 to version 0.27 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and memory validation mechanisms for TIFF parsing operations. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization for all image file processing workflows, particularly when handling external or user-submitted content. Network segmentation and file validation procedures can provide additional defense-in-depth layers, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous file processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party libraries and implementing robust memory safety practices in image processing applications. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments across their software ecosystems to identify other potential instances of similar flaws in related libraries or components that might be susceptible to analogous buffer overflow conditions.