CVE-2017-13753 in Jasper
Summary
by MITRE
There is a reachable assertion abort in the function JPC_NOMINALGAIN() in jpc/jpc_t1cod.c in JasPer 2.0.12 that will lead to a remote denial of service attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13753 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within the JasPer 2.0.12 image processing library. This issue manifests in the JPC_NOMINALGAIN() function located within the jpc/jpc_t1cod.c source file, where a reachable assertion abort occurs during the processing of certain malformed image data. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling mechanisms that fail to properly process edge cases in the JPEG 2000 compression algorithm implementation. When an attacker crafts malicious image data that triggers this specific code path, the assertion failure causes the application to terminate abruptly, resulting in a denial of service condition that affects legitimate users attempting to process valid image files.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overread and assertion failure scenario that aligns with CWE-611, which encompasses improper access control vulnerabilities. The flaw occurs during the execution of the JPEG 2000 decoding process where the JPC_NOMINALGAIN() function attempts to calculate gain values for coefficient processing without adequate boundary checks. This assertion abort represents a failure in the library's robustness against malformed input, creating a condition where remote attackers can intentionally trigger the software to crash by sending specially crafted JPEG 2000 image data. The vulnerability's remote nature means that any application utilizing JasPer 2.0.12 for image processing can be affected, including web applications, image servers, and content management systems that accept user-uploaded images.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-13753 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system availability and user experience across numerous applications. This vulnerability affects the core functionality of image processing workflows, particularly in environments where JasPer is used as a backend library for handling various image formats including JPEG 2000, JP2, and JPC files. Attackers can exploit this flaw to repeatedly crash services, causing cascading failures in applications that depend on image processing capabilities. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework as a denial of service attack (TA0043) indicates it can be leveraged as part of broader attack campaigns targeting system availability. Organizations running applications that process user-uploaded content are particularly vulnerable, as attackers can upload malicious images to trigger the assertion failure and disrupt service operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13753 should prioritize immediate patching of JasPer library installations to version 2.0.13 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the assertion failure. System administrators should implement input validation measures that filter out malformed image data before it reaches the JasPer library processing layer, utilizing techniques such as file format checking and size validation. Network-level protections including firewalls and intrusion detection systems can be configured to monitor for patterns associated with malicious image file uploads that may trigger this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing application-level sandboxing and resource limits can help contain the impact of successful exploitation attempts, preventing a single compromised process from affecting entire application stacks. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems utilizing affected JasPer versions and establish monitoring protocols to detect potential exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in later versions addresses the root cause by adding proper bounds checking and error handling within the JPC_NOMINALGAIN() function, ensuring that malformed input data does not cause assertion failures that lead to service termination.