CVE-2017-14040 in OpenJPEG
Summary
by MITRE
An invalid write access was discovered in bin/jp2/convert.c in OpenJPEG 2.2.0, triggering a crash in the tgatoimage function. The vulnerability may lead to remote denial of service or possibly unspecified other impact.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14040 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the OpenJPEG 2.2.0 library, specifically within the binary jp2/convert.c file. This issue manifests as an invalid write access condition that occurs during the execution of the tgatoimage function, which serves as a crucial component in the library's handling of graphics file conversions. The flaw arises from improper input validation and memory management practices that fail to adequately sanitize or bounds-check data during the processing of image format conversions, particularly when dealing with certain GIMP Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) data structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption pattern where the tgatoimage function attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries or to invalid memory locations. This occurs when the function processes malformed or specially crafted input data that does not conform to expected format specifications for TIFF image files. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-787: "Out-of-bounds Write" which is a well-documented weakness in software security that allows attackers to write data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions, potentially causing program crashes, data corruption, or in more severe cases, arbitrary code execution. The improper handling of input validation within the image conversion pipeline creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate memory layout through carefully constructed input sequences.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that utilize OpenJPEG for image processing, particularly in environments where the library handles untrusted input from external sources. The remote denial of service aspect means that an attacker could potentially crash services or applications that rely on OpenJPEG for image conversion, leading to system unavailability and service disruption. The unspecified other impacts suggest potential for more severe consequences including information disclosure or privilege escalation, depending on the execution context and system configuration. This vulnerability affects a wide range of applications including web servers, image processing services, and document management systems that integrate OpenJPEG for handling various image formats, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these libraries are widely deployed.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14040 should prioritize immediate patching of affected OpenJPEG installations to version 2.3.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the memory corruption issue. Organizations should implement input validation measures at the application level to sanitize all image file inputs before processing, particularly for systems that accept user-uploaded content. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable versions of OpenJPEG. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004: "Endpoint Denial of Service" and potentially T1059.007: "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" if the vulnerability is exploited through web-based interfaces. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated OpenJPEG versions, with automated patch management systems implemented to ensure timely remediation of similar issues in the future. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices including bounds checking, memory allocation validation, and input sanitization to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations.