CVE-2017-10758 in XnView Classic
Summary
by MITRE
XnView Classic for Windows Version 2.40 might allow attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .rle file, related to "Data from Faulting Address controls Branch Selection starting at ntdll_77df0000!RtlpCoalesceFreeBlocks+0x00000000000004b4."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10758 affects XnView Classic for Windows version 2.40 and represents a critical security flaw that could enable remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks or potentially achieve arbitrary code execution through manipulation of specifically crafted .rle files. This vulnerability manifests within the application's handling of RLE (Run-Length Encoded) image format data, which is commonly used for storing bitmap images with compressed data. The flaw occurs during the processing of malformed RLE files that trigger an abnormal execution flow within the application's memory management subsystem.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of memory structures during the processing of faulting addresses within the ntdll.dll module, specifically at the RtlpCoalesceFreeBlocks function located at address 0x77df0000. This function is part of the Windows NT kernel's memory management system responsible for coalescing free memory blocks during heap operations. When XnView Classic encounters a malformed .rle file, it triggers a memory access violation that causes the application to jump to an incorrect memory address, resulting in unpredictable behavior and system instability. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory bounds checking within the image parsing routines, allowing attackers to manipulate the execution flow through carefully crafted data structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more severe consequences including system crashes, application hangs, and in some scenarios, arbitrary code execution. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious .rle files that, when opened by the vulnerable XnView Classic application, cause the program to enter an infinite loop or access invalid memory addresses. The vulnerability affects the application's stability and reliability, potentially leading to complete system crashes or forcing users to restart their systems. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where XnView Classic is used for image processing or as part of automated workflows, as it could be exploited to disrupt critical operations or serve as a foothold for further attacks.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125: "Out-of-Bounds Read" and CWE-787: "Out-of-Bounds Write" categories, which are fundamental memory safety issues that have been extensively documented in the cybersecurity community. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1203: "Exploitation for Client Execution" and potentially T1059: "Command and Scripting Interpreter" when considering the potential for arbitrary code execution. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest version of XnView Classic, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious file access patterns. Additionally, user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted image files and implementing strict file validation policies can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in multimedia applications, where the parsing of external data formats can lead to severe security consequences.