CVE-2017-12642 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
ImageMagick 7.0.6-1 has a memory leak vulnerability in ReadMPCImage in coders\mpc.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12642 represents a critical memory leak flaw within ImageMagick version 7.0.6-1, specifically affecting the ReadMPCImage function located in the coders/mpc.c source file. This issue arises during the processing of MPC image files, which are part of ImageMagick's native format for storing image data. The memory leak occurs when the software fails to properly release allocated memory resources after processing certain malformed or specially crafted MPC image files, leading to progressive memory consumption that can ultimately result in system instability or denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the image processing pipeline. When ImageMagick attempts to read and parse MPC files, the ReadMPCImage function does not correctly handle memory allocation and deallocation sequences, particularly when encountering edge cases or malformed input data. This memory leak pattern aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper release of memory resources, and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers to consume system resources over time. The flaw demonstrates how image processing libraries can become attack vectors when proper memory management protocols are not implemented, particularly in environments where these libraries process untrusted input data from external sources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption issues, as it can be leveraged in various attack scenarios including denial of service attacks against web applications that utilize ImageMagick for image processing. Systems processing large volumes of image requests become increasingly vulnerable to memory exhaustion, potentially causing application crashes or system-wide resource depletion. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications, content management systems, and any platform that accepts user-uploaded images and processes them through ImageMagick, making it a significant concern for organizations operating public-facing services. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that ImageMagick is widely deployed across various platforms and applications, meaning that exploitation can occur in numerous environments with potentially cascading effects on system availability and performance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12642 primarily involve immediate software updates to versions that address the memory leak issue, as the original vulnerable version 7.0.6-1 contained the problematic ReadMPCImage implementation. Organizations should also implement input validation measures to restrict the types of image files processed and employ sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation attempts. Network-level protections including content filtering and rate limiting can help reduce the risk of exploitation by preventing malicious image files from reaching the vulnerable processing components. Additionally, system monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving resource exhaustion and privilege escalation, with the potential for attackers to leverage it as part of broader attack chains targeting system stability and availability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar memory management issues in other image processing libraries and applications.