CVE-2017-11450 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
coders/jpeg.c in ImageMagick before 7.0.6-1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via JPEG data that is too short.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11450 resides within the ImageMagick image processing library, specifically in the jpeg.c file responsible for handling jpeg image format decoding. This flaw represents a classic buffer underflow condition that occurs when the software attempts to process malformed jpeg data that is insufficient in size to contain the expected metadata structure. The vulnerability affects ImageMagick versions prior to 7.0.6-1, making it a significant concern for systems that process untrusted image files through this library. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking mechanisms within the jpeg decoder component, which fails to properly verify the length and structure of incoming jpeg data before attempting to parse it.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting specially malformed jpeg files that contain insufficient data to satisfy the expected format requirements. When ImageMagick attempts to process such files, the jpeg.c parser encounters unexpected data structures that trigger memory access violations or undefined behavior. This can result in application crashes and denial of service conditions, as the software terminates unexpectedly when attempting to read beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that under certain conditions, attackers might be able to execute arbitrary code or manipulate memory contents, though the primary documented effect remains denial of service.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to web applications, content management systems, and any service that accepts and processes user-uploaded images through ImageMagick. The remote attack vector means that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability without requiring local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments or public-facing applications. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the vulnerability can be leveraged in broader attack chains, potentially enabling more sophisticated exploits when combined with other vulnerabilities or when the target system has additional components that interact with ImageMagick. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries may use resource exhaustion or service disruption as part of their attack strategy.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2017-11450 primarily involves upgrading ImageMagick to version 7.0.6-1 or later, which includes proper input validation and boundary checking mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as image file validation, size limits, and content type verification before processing user uploads. Network-level filtering and sandboxing techniques can provide additional protection layers, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual application behavior or crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices, aligning with CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array index, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. The issue also highlights the need for comprehensive security testing including fuzzing and boundary condition testing for image processing libraries, as recommended in industry security frameworks and standards such as those published by NIST and OWASP.