CVE-2017-14282 in XnView Classic
Summary
by MITRE
XnView Classic for Windows Version 2.40 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .jb2 file, related to a "Read Access Violation starting at jbig2dec+0x0000000000005862."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2019
CVE-2017-14282 represents a critical memory corruption vulnerability affecting XnView Classic for Windows version 2.40, specifically within the JBIG2 image format processing component. This vulnerability manifests through a read access violation that occurs at the jbig2dec+0x0000000000005862 memory address, indicating a fundamental flaw in how the application handles malformed JBIG2 image files. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and can be classified as a CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which is a common vector for denial of service attacks and potentially more severe exploitation scenarios. The JBIG2 format is a standard for lossy and lossless compression of raster graphics, widely used in document imaging and archiving applications, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on image processing software.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a maliciously crafted .jb2 file is processed by XnView Classic, triggering a memory access violation that causes the application to crash or behave unpredictably. The read access violation at the specific memory offset suggests that the application attempts to read data from an invalid memory location, likely due to improper bounds checking or buffer overflow conditions within the JBIG2 decoder library. This type of vulnerability provides attackers with a pathway to cause denial of service conditions, where legitimate users cannot access the application, and potentially more severe impacts including arbitrary code execution if the memory corruption can be leveraged for privilege escalation. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate error handling within the image processing pipeline, creating an attack surface that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution.
Organizations utilizing XnView Classic for Windows are at significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted image files or where the application is used in automated processing workflows. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes, as the vulnerability could be exploited in targeted attacks against specific users or systems, especially in environments where image processing is a common task. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that attackers might be able to leverage the memory corruption for more sophisticated exploitation techniques, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Security teams should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader threat landscape assessment, particularly in environments where legacy image processing applications are still in use, and where proper patch management processes may not be fully implemented.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14282 should prioritize immediate patching of affected XnView Classic installations, as no reliable workarounds exist for this type of memory corruption vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of affected systems and consider implementing file type filtering to prevent processing of JBIG2 files when not explicitly required. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual application behavior or crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular software updates and proper vulnerability management processes, as it represents a classic example of how legacy software components can introduce significant security risks. Organizations should also consider migrating to more modern image processing solutions that have better memory safety features and more robust input validation mechanisms, as the underlying JBIG2 decoder library appears to have insufficient error handling for malformed input files.