CVE-2017-11751 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The WritePICONImage function in coders/xpm.c in ImageMagick 7.0.6-4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory leak) via a crafted file.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11751 resides within ImageMagick's XPM image coder module, specifically in the WritePICONImage function located in coders/xpm.c. This critical flaw represents a memory leak vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks. The issue manifests when ImageMagick processes a specially crafted XPM file, causing the application to consume excessive memory resources without proper cleanup. Such memory leaks can accumulate over time and eventually lead to system instability or complete service unavailability, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where ImageMagick is used for image processing tasks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management within the WritePICONImage function, which fails to properly release allocated memory resources when processing malformed input files. This flaw aligns with CWE-401, which categorizes memory leaks as a common software weakness where allocated memory is not properly deallocated. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can submit crafted files to a system running vulnerable ImageMagick versions. Attackers can leverage this weakness by uploading or otherwise delivering malicious XPM files that trigger the memory allocation patterns leading to resource exhaustion.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-11751 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the overall stability and performance of systems relying on ImageMagick for image processing operations. In web applications, this vulnerability could be exploited through file upload mechanisms, allowing attackers to consume system resources and potentially cause cascading failures across dependent services. The memory leak behavior can be particularly devastating in containerized environments or cloud deployments where resource limits are strictly enforced, as the excessive memory consumption may trigger automatic termination of processes or containers. This vulnerability affects various deployment scenarios including web servers, content management systems, and any application that utilizes ImageMagick for handling user-supplied image content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-11751 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ImageMagick installations to version 7.0.6-5 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement input validation and sanitization measures to prevent processing of untrusted image files, particularly in web-facing applications where user uploads are accepted. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit exposure by restricting direct access to systems running ImageMagick to trusted sources only. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in legitimate image processing functionality. Organizations leveraging cloud services should verify that their cloud provider has patched the vulnerability and consider implementing additional security controls such as automated vulnerability scanning and runtime protection mechanisms to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against memory-related vulnerabilities that can be exploited for denial of service attacks.