CVE-2017-10995 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The mng_get_long function in coders/png.c in ImageMagick 7.0.6-0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer over-read and application crash) via a crafted MNG image.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10995 represents a critical heap-based buffer over-read flaw within ImageMagick's handling of MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) image formats. This issue resides in the mng_get_long function located in the coders/png.c file of ImageMagick version 7.0.6-0, where improper input validation leads to memory corruption during image processing operations. The flaw specifically manifests when the application attempts to parse maliciously crafted MNG files that contain malformed data structures, causing the software to read beyond allocated memory boundaries and subsequently crash the application.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves a remote attacker who can craft a specially formatted MNG image file designed to trigger the buffer over-read condition. When ImageMagick processes this malicious file through the mng_get_long function, the application fails to properly bounds-check data reads from the image stream, resulting in memory access violations that cause heap corruption. This memory corruption ultimately leads to an application crash, effectively enabling a denial of service attack against systems running vulnerable versions of ImageMagick. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through web applications that allow users to upload or process image files, making it a significant threat vector in web-based environments.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations that rely on ImageMagick for image processing tasks, particularly those with web applications that handle user-uploaded content. The denial of service impact can render systems unavailable to legitimate users, potentially causing business disruption and service degradation. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need local access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments or public-facing applications. The flaw can be exploited across various platforms where ImageMagick is deployed, including web servers, content management systems, and image processing pipelines that may be exposed to untrusted input from external sources.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to mitigate this vulnerability, as no reliable workarounds exist for this specific flaw. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to ImageMagick version 7.0.6-1 or later, which includes fixes for this buffer over-read condition. Security teams should also implement network segmentation and input validation measures to limit exposure, particularly for systems that process untrusted image content. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to contain potential exploitation attempts, while monitoring for anomalous image processing activities that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a typical example of how image format parsing vulnerabilities can be leveraged for denial of service attacks in multimedia processing libraries.