CVE-2017-1000185 in SWFTools
Summary
by MITRE
In SWFTools, a memcpy buffer overflow was found in gif2swf.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1000185 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within SWFTools, specifically affecting the gif2swf utility. This issue arises from improper memory handling during the conversion process of gif images to flash swf format. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed gif files that contain oversized or malformed image dimensions, leading to a situation where the memcpy function attempts to copy data beyond the allocated memory boundaries. Such buffer overflows typically occur when input validation is insufficient and the application does not properly verify the size constraints of incoming data before attempting memory operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the lack of proper bounds checking in the gif2swf utility's memory allocation routines. When processing specially crafted gif files, the application fails to validate the dimensions specified in the gif header structure, particularly the image width and height fields. This absence of validation allows attackers to manipulate the gif file structure to force the memcpy operation to write beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which can lead to arbitrary code execution when the overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, presenting significant security risks to systems processing untrusted gif content. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious gif files that, when processed by vulnerable versions of SWFTools, can trigger memory corruption leading to potential remote code execution. The attack surface includes any system or application that relies on SWFTools for gif to swf conversion, particularly web applications, content management systems, and media processing pipelines that accept user-uploaded gif files. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where automated processing of user-generated content occurs without proper input sanitization, creating opportunities for privilege escalation attacks that could compromise the entire hosting system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1000185 should focus on immediate patching of affected SWFTools versions, implementing comprehensive input validation for all gif file processing operations, and deploying runtime protections such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 for command and script interpreter execution, as successful exploitation could lead to command execution capabilities. Additionally, defense in depth approaches should include regular security assessments of third-party tools, implementation of web application firewalls to filter malicious file uploads, and establishment of secure coding practices that enforce proper memory management and input validation techniques to prevent similar buffer overflow conditions in future development cycles.