CVE-2017-15245 in IrfanView
Summary
by MITRE
IrfanView version 4.44 (32bit) with PDF plugin version 4.43 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .pdf file, related to "Data from Faulting Address controls Branch Selection starting at PDF!xmlGetGlobalState+0x0000000000057b76."
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15245 affects IrfanView version 4.44 when used with the PDF plugin version 4.43, presenting a critical security risk that can lead to denial of service conditions or potentially more severe unspecified impacts. This flaw manifests through the processing of maliciously crafted pdf files that exploit a specific code execution path within the PDF plugin component. The vulnerability specifically originates from a faulting address that influences branch selection during the execution of PDF!xmlGetGlobalState function, where the address calculation directly impacts program flow control mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation and memory management within the PDF plugin's xmlGetGlobalState function. When IrfanView processes a specially crafted pdf file, the plugin fails to properly validate or sanitize the data extracted from the faulting address, leading to unpredictable program behavior. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of control flow corruption, where attacker-controlled data directly influences conditional branch decisions in the program execution path. The specific location mentioned in the vulnerability description points to a critical execution point where program logic becomes dependent on corrupted or attacker-controlled data, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the unspecified other impacts could include privilege escalation, information disclosure, or complete system compromise depending on the execution environment. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious pdf file that, when opened through IrfanView with the vulnerable PDF plugin, causes the application to crash or behave unpredictably. The vulnerability affects systems where IrfanView is used to process untrusted pdf content, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users might encounter malicious attachments or documents. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on IrfanView for document processing, especially in contexts where automated processing or user interaction with external content occurs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15245 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected software components, specifically updating IrfanView to version 4.45 or later where the PDF plugin vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should implement strict content filtering measures to prevent users from opening untrusted pdf files through IrfanView, particularly in enterprise environments where the application might be used for document processing. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in plugin architectures, aligning with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-129 and CWE-131 that address issues related to improper input validation and buffer overflow conditions. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of potentially vulnerable applications or plugins, following ATT&CK technique T1195 which addresses the exploitation of software vulnerabilities through malicious file execution. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious pdf file processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts of this vulnerability.