CVE-2017-11447 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The ReadSCREENSHOTImage function in coders/screenshot.c in ImageMagick before 7.0.6-1 has memory leaks, causing denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11447 resides within the ImageMagick image processing library, specifically in the ReadSCREENSHOTImage function located in coders/screenshot.c. This flaw represents a memory leak vulnerability that affects versions of ImageMagick prior to 7.0.6-1, creating a significant security concern for systems that process untrusted image files. The issue manifests when the library attempts to read screenshot images, leading to improper memory management that results in resource exhaustion over time.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory deallocation practices within the screenshot reading code path. When ImageMagick processes certain screenshot image formats, the ReadSCREENSHOTImage function fails to properly release allocated memory blocks, causing gradual memory consumption that can eventually lead to system instability. This memory leak occurs during the image parsing phase where temporary buffers and data structures are not correctly freed, creating a persistent resource drain that accumulates with each processed image file.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a reliable denial of service condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. An attacker who can convince a system running vulnerable ImageMagick to process a specially crafted screenshot image file can trigger the memory leak, causing the application to consume increasing amounts of memory until system resources are exhausted. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where ImageMagick is used to process user-uploaded content, such as web applications, file processing services, or automated image analysis systems. The impact extends beyond simple resource exhaustion as it can also affect application availability and overall system performance, potentially causing cascading failures in dependent services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses memory leaks in software systems, and represents a classic example of improper resource management that can be exploited for denial of service attacks. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign image processing operations can be weaponized to compromise system availability, making it a critical concern for organizations that rely on ImageMagick for image handling operations. Organizations should implement immediate patching strategies to address this vulnerability, as the memory leak can be triggered through simple file processing operations without requiring complex attack vectors or privileged access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-11447 should prioritize updating ImageMagick to version 7.0.6-1 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Additionally, organizations should implement input validation and file type checking mechanisms to prevent processing of untrusted image files, while monitoring system resource consumption to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of image processing workflows and proper memory management practices should be integrated into development and deployment processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.