CVE-2017-10782 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!RtlpFreeHeap+0x00000000000003ca."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10782 affects XnView Classic for Windows version 2.40 and represents a critical security flaw that could enable attackers to execute denial of service attacks or potentially achieve unspecified additional impacts through manipulation of specially crafted .rle files. This vulnerability specifically targets the image processing functionality within the software, exploiting a weakness in how the application handles certain file formats that could lead to system instability or complete application failure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies within the ntdll module of the Windows operating system, specifically at the RtlpFreeHeap function where a faulting address controls branch selection. This indicates that when XnView Classic attempts to process a maliciously crafted .rle file, the application triggers an improper memory management operation that results in unpredictable behavior within the Windows kernel. The vulnerability manifests during the heap memory deallocation process, where the program's execution flow becomes corrupted due to improper handling of memory addresses, leading to potential system crashes or application hangs.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users who may unknowingly open maliciously crafted image files, particularly in environments where automated file processing occurs or where users have limited security awareness. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users could be prevented from accessing their image files or using the application entirely, while the unspecified other impacts suggest potential for more severe consequences including privilege escalation or remote code execution depending on the specific exploitation scenario. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of XnView Classic, which is designed for image viewing and management, making it particularly dangerous in corporate or personal environments where image files are frequently processed.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and unpredictable behavior, and potentially relates to CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow conditions. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves legitimate programs being used to perform actions that could lead to denial of service, and potentially T1059 for execution of malicious code through file manipulation. Organizations should consider implementing strict file validation protocols and restricting the processing of untrusted image files, particularly those with .rle extensions, to mitigate this risk.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate application of vendor patches or updates to XnView Classic, implementing file extension filtering to prevent automatic processing of .rle files, and establishing security awareness training for users to avoid opening suspicious image files. Additionally, network segmentation and application whitelisting can provide additional defense layers to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in enterprise environments. System monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual memory allocation patterns or application crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image file processing to isolate potential exploitation attempts from critical system resources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and input validation in multimedia processing applications, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing of file parsing components in image viewers and similar software applications.