CVE-2017-15780 in XnView Classic
Summary
by MITRE
XnView Classic for Windows Version 2.43 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .dwg file, related to a "Read Access Violation starting at CADImage+0x0000000000285dad."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2019
CVE-2017-15780 represents a critical denial of service vulnerability affecting XnView Classic for Windows version 2.43 and potentially earlier versions. This vulnerability manifests when the application processes specially crafted .dwg files, which are AutoCAD drawing files commonly used in engineering and architectural design. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the CAD image processing component of the software. When a maliciously constructed .dwg file is opened, the application encounters a read access violation at the CADImage+0x0000000000285dad memory address, causing the application to crash or become unresponsive. This vulnerability falls under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which is categorized as a memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no privileged access or special user interactions beyond opening a malicious file, making it suitable for social engineering campaigns or automated exploitation in web-based environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows patterns consistent with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and execution techniques. An attacker can craft a malicious .dwg file that triggers the read access violation when processed by XnView Classic, leading to a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing the application. The memory access violation at the specific address suggests that the application fails to properly validate buffer boundaries or handle malformed CAD data structures during parsing operations. This type of vulnerability represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where the application attempts to read from memory locations outside the bounds of allocated buffers, potentially leading to memory corruption. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description could include information disclosure, privilege escalation, or even remote code execution depending on the specific memory corruption patterns and the execution environment. The vulnerability demonstrates a lack of proper input sanitization and robust error handling in the CAD image parsing module, which is a common weakness in multimedia processing applications that must handle various file formats.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-15780 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks targeting users of XnView Classic. Organizations that rely on this image viewer for document management, engineering collaboration, or graphic design workflows face significant risk when this vulnerability exists in their systems. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently open malicious files from email attachments, shared network drives, or web downloads. The memory access violation pattern suggests that this vulnerability could be leveraged in a broader exploitation chain, potentially allowing attackers to gain deeper system access through subsequent exploitation techniques. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of a larger attack surface assessment, particularly in environments where legacy software applications remain in use without proper patch management procedures. The vulnerability's classification as a read access violation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, indicating potential for escalation to more severe system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15780 should focus on immediate patching of the XnView Classic application to version 2.44 or later, which contains the necessary memory validation fixes. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies for .dwg files, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted content. Network administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of vulnerable applications until proper patches are deployed. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual file processing patterns or application crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software libraries and implementing proper input validation in multimedia processing applications. System administrators should also consider deploying sandboxing solutions for handling potentially malicious file types, particularly in high-risk environments where the attack surface is large. Regular vulnerability assessments should include evaluation of legacy software applications for similar memory safety issues, as this vulnerability represents a common class of flaws that may exist in other software components. The remediation process should also include user education regarding safe file handling practices and the importance of avoiding opening untrusted files from unknown sources.