CVE-2017-12418 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
ImageMagick 7.0.6-5 has memory leaks in the parse8BIMW and format8BIM functions in coders/meta.c, related to the WriteImage function in MagickCore/constitute.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
CVE-2017-12418 represents a memory leak vulnerability affecting ImageMagick version 7.0.6-5, specifically within the handling of 8BIM metadata structures during image processing operations. This vulnerability resides in the coders/meta.c file where the parse8BIMW and format8BIM functions fail to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation when processing certain image metadata. The issue manifests when the WriteImage function in MagickCore/constitute.c attempts to serialize image data containing 8BIM metadata, leading to repeated memory allocations without corresponding deallocations.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate memory management practices within the 8BIM metadata processing pipeline, where allocated memory blocks are not consistently freed even when processing completes or encounters errors. This creates a memory leak condition that can accumulate over time, particularly when processing multiple images or when the vulnerable code path is executed repeatedly. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-401 as a failure to release memory resources, which directly impacts system stability and resource utilization. Attackers could potentially exploit this by crafting malicious image files containing malformed 8BIM metadata that triggers the leak during image processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption issues, as persistent memory leaks can lead to system performance degradation, application crashes, and potential denial of service conditions. When exploited in server environments processing user-uploaded images, the cumulative effect of memory leaks can exhaust available system resources, making the system vulnerable to resource exhaustion attacks. The vulnerability affects both the command-line utilities and any applications that utilize ImageMagick's image processing capabilities, particularly those handling Photoshop-specific metadata formats.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application to the affected ImageMagick version, as well as implementing input validation and sanitization measures to prevent processing of malformed image files. Organizations should also consider implementing resource monitoring to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in image processing libraries, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1070.004 for bypassing security controls through resource exhaustion. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running ImageMagick to untrusted image inputs, particularly in web applications where user-uploaded content is processed without proper sanitization.