CVE-2017-14325 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.7-1 Q16, a memory leak vulnerability was found in the function PersistPixelCache in magick/cache.c, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption in ReadMPCImage in coders/mpc.c) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14325 represents a critical memory leak flaw within ImageMagick's pixel cache management system. This issue manifests in the PersistPixelCache function located in the magick/cache.c source file, where improper memory handling during image processing creates a persistent memory consumption problem that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically affects ImageMagick version 7.0.7-1 Q16 and demonstrates how seemingly routine image processing operations can be weaponized to exhaust system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management within the pixel cache persistence mechanism. When the ReadMPCImage function in coders/mpc.c processes a specially crafted image file, it triggers the PersistPixelCache function to allocate memory for pixel data without proper subsequent deallocation. This memory allocation pattern creates a gradual accumulation of unused memory blocks that persist throughout the application's runtime, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually exhaust available system resources. The flaw operates at the intersection of memory management and file format parsing, where crafted input data manipulates the normal execution flow to induce excessive memory allocation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant denial of service risk that can severely impact systems relying on ImageMagick for image processing tasks. Attackers can craft malicious image files that, when processed by vulnerable applications, cause continuous memory allocation without proper cleanup, leading to system instability, application crashes, or complete system resource exhaustion. The impact extends beyond individual applications to affect entire service availability, particularly in environments where image processing is a core functionality such as web applications, content management systems, or digital asset management platforms.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which catalogs improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations utilizing ImageMagick in production environments face heightened risk as this vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including web uploads, file processing pipelines, or automated image conversion services. The memory leak pattern suggests potential for amplification attacks where small input files can trigger disproportionately large memory consumption, making it particularly dangerous in resource-constrained environments.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected ImageMagick installations to version 7.0.7-2 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Additionally, implementing input validation and file type restrictions can reduce exposure by preventing processing of suspicious image files. System administrators should establish memory monitoring and resource limits on image processing services to detect and prevent memory exhaustion attacks. Network segmentation and application sandboxing can further limit the impact of successful exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify proper memory management implementation in custom image processing workflows that utilize ImageMagick components.