CVE-2017-13648 in GraphicsMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In GraphicsMagick 1.3.26, a memory leak vulnerability was found in the function ReadMATImage in coders/mat.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2022
The memory leak vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13648 resides within GraphicsMagick version 1.3.26, specifically within the ReadMATImage function located in the coders/mat.c file. This flaw represents a critical security issue that can be exploited to consume system resources through improper memory management during image processing operations. The vulnerability occurs when the software fails to properly release allocated memory blocks after processing MATLAB matrix files, creating a condition where memory consumption continues to grow with each processed file.
This memory leak vulnerability falls under CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper management of dynamic memory allocation in software systems. The flaw demonstrates a classic resource exhaustion pattern where the application continuously allocates memory without subsequent deallocation, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually cause system instability or complete system failure. The issue is particularly concerning in environments where GraphicsMagick is used as a service or processing multiple files, as the memory consumption grows linearly with each processed image file, potentially leading to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory consumption issues, as it can be leveraged in various attack scenarios including resource exhaustion attacks against web applications or services that utilize GraphicsMagick for image processing. When exploited, the vulnerability allows an attacker to send specially crafted MATLAB files to a vulnerable system, causing the application to allocate memory continuously without release, eventually depleting available system resources. This can result in system slowdowns, application crashes, or complete system unresponsiveness, particularly affecting server environments where multiple requests are processed concurrently.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13648 should prioritize immediate patching of GraphicsMagick installations to versions that contain the memory management fix for the ReadMATImage function. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect abnormal memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, input validation and sanitization should be enforced at all entry points where MATLAB files are processed, implementing strict file format checks and size limitations to prevent abuse of the vulnerable function. Organizations should also consider implementing resource limits and process monitoring to detect and terminate processes exhibiting abnormal memory usage patterns, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499 for resource exhaustion attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and highlights the need for comprehensive code review processes that identify and address memory leak conditions in image processing libraries.