CVE-2017-10739 in XnView Classic
Summary
by MITRE
XnView Classic for Windows Version 2.40 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via a crafted .rle file, related to a "Data Execution Prevention Violation starting at Unknown Symbol @ 0x000000000c1b541c called from xnview+0x00000000003826ec."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10739 affects XnView Classic for Windows version 2.40 and represents a critical security flaw that enables remote code execution or denial of service through manipulation of specially crafted .rle files. This issue stems from a Data Execution Prevention violation occurring at an unknown symbol address within the application's memory space, specifically at 0x000000000c1b541c, with the execution flow originating from xnview+0x00000000003826ec. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition where improper input validation allows attackers to manipulate memory execution flow and potentially execute malicious code within the context of the running application.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed .rle image files without adequate bounds checking or memory protection mechanisms. The Data Execution Prevention violation indicates that the operating system's security feature intended to prevent execution of code in data segments is being circumvented or bypassed through the crafted input. This allows attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the application's memory space, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to encompass full system compromise and unauthorized code execution. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious .rle files that trigger the buffer overflow condition during image processing, potentially enabling privilege escalation, data theft, or system persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability affects users who process untrusted image files, making it particularly dangerous in environments where file uploads or external image processing occurs. Organizations using XnView Classic for image management, digital asset handling, or any workflow involving image file processing are at risk, especially when dealing with unverified or potentially malicious file inputs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-10739 should prioritize immediate remediation through official vendor patches or updates to XnView Classic, as this vulnerability has been classified under the ATT&CK framework as a code injection technique. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies, disable processing of untrusted image files, and deploy application whitelisting solutions to prevent exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious file processing activities, and conducting regular security assessments of image handling workflows. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for image file processing and establishing robust incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in preventing exploitation of similar buffer overflow conditions in multimedia processing applications.