CVE-2017-10761 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!RtlpAllocateHeap+0x0000000000000429."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10761 affects XnView Classic for Windows version 2.40 and represents a critical security flaw that could lead to denial of service conditions or potentially more severe impacts through manipulation of specially crafted .rle files. This issue stems from improper handling of file data within the application's processing pipeline, specifically when encountering malformed RLE (Run-Length Encoded) image files that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying system libraries.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in how XnView Classic processes RLE formatted image files, particularly when these files contain data that causes the application to access memory locations that should not be reachable during normal operation. The faulting address ntdll_77df0000!RtlpAllocateHeap+0x0000000000000429 indicates that the issue occurs within the Windows NT kernel heap allocation routines, suggesting that the application's failure to properly validate input data leads to memory corruption or unexpected control flow within the system's memory management subsystem. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes in heap-based buffers, both of which are common in image processing applications that fail to validate file structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it could potentially be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the application process. When an attacker crafts a malicious .rle file that triggers the faulting address behavior, the application may experience crashes, memory corruption, or even privilege escalation opportunities depending on the execution environment and system configuration. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that the memory corruption could lead to more serious consequences including system instability, data loss, or unauthorized access to system resources. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of known vulnerabilities in software applications, and could potentially enable further attacks through privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the XnView Classic application to the latest version that addresses the heap allocation and input validation issues. System administrators should implement strict file validation policies that prevent users from opening untrusted image files, particularly those with unusual extensions or file formats that are not commonly used in the organization's workflow. Network-based protections such as content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms should be deployed to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious files, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for unusual memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of image processing applications should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other software components, as this type of heap-based memory corruption is common in multimedia processing applications that handle complex file formats without proper input sanitization. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in applications that process user-supplied data, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted files from external sources.