CVE-2017-12429 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.6-1, a memory exhaustion vulnerability was found in the function ReadMIFFImage in coders/miff.c, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12429 represents a critical memory exhaustion flaw within ImageMagick's processing pipeline, specifically targeting version 7.0.6-1 where the ReadMIFFImage function in coders/miff.c fails to properly manage memory allocation during image format parsing. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and memory management controls that allow maliciously crafted image files to trigger excessive memory consumption patterns. The flaw specifically affects the MIFF (Magick Image File Format) parser which is responsible for reading and interpreting image data structures, making it a prime target for denial of service attacks that exploit memory allocation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of image metadata and data structures within the ReadMIFFImage function, where recursive or iterative memory allocations occur without adequate bounds checking or resource limits. When processing malformed MIFF files, the function can be诱导 to allocate progressively larger memory blocks, leading to system resource exhaustion and ultimately causing the application to crash or become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-400, which specifically addresses unchecked resource consumption, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for resource exhaustion attacks targeting availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-12429 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can be exploited in automated attack scenarios where adversaries flood systems with malicious image files, potentially affecting web applications, file processing services, and content management systems that utilize ImageMagick for image handling. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard file upload mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user-supplied content is processed without proper sanitization. Attackers can leverage this flaw to disrupt services, consume system resources, and potentially cause cascading failures in applications that depend on ImageMagick's image processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of ImageMagick installations to version 7.0.6-2 or later, which contains the necessary memory allocation safeguards and input validation improvements. Organizations should implement additional protective measures including file type validation, size limitations, and resource monitoring to prevent exploitation attempts. Network-based mitigations such as implementing file format restrictions and deploying intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability's classification as a memory exhaustion issue also necessitates proper system resource limits and process isolation to prevent a single malicious payload from consuming all available system memory and affecting overall system stability.