CVE-2017-15790 in IrfanView
Summary
by MITRE
IrfanView version 4.50 (64bit) allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .dll file that is mishandled during an attempt to render the DLL icon, related to a "Read Access Violation starting at ntdll!LdrpResCompareResourceNames+0x0000000000000120."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15790 affects IrfanView version 4.50 64bit and represents a critical denial of service condition that can potentially lead to more severe consequences. This flaw manifests when the application processes a specially crafted .dll file during icon rendering operations, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the software's handling of dynamic link libraries. The issue stems from improper validation and memory management within the application's icon processing pipeline, specifically when attempting to render icons from potentially malicious DLL files.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in a read access violation occurring at ntdll!LdrpResCompareResourceNames+0x0000000000000120, which indicates a low-level memory access error within the Windows operating system's loader component. This particular memory address represents the location where the system attempts to compare resource names during the loading process of dynamic link libraries. When IrfanView encounters a malformed DLL file, it fails to properly handle the resource name comparison operation, leading to a memory access violation that causes the application to crash or become unresponsive. This behavior aligns with CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which describes situations where an application reads memory beyond the intended buffer boundaries, and CWE-248: Uncaught Exception, which occurs when an exception is not properly handled by the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it creates potential entry points for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. An attacker who can successfully trigger this condition could potentially cause repeated application crashes, leading to availability issues for legitimate users who rely on IrfanView for image processing tasks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where IrfanView is used for automated processing or where the application runs with elevated privileges. Additionally, the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description suggest that this flaw may potentially allow for arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation under certain conditions, making it a significant security concern for enterprise environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15790 should include immediate application updates to versions that address the memory handling issues within the DLL icon processing code. System administrators should implement strict file type filtering and validation mechanisms to prevent unauthorized DLL files from being processed by IrfanView. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, ensuring that IrfanView runs with minimal required permissions and that users cannot upload or execute arbitrary DLL files within the application context. Network-based protections such as application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques can provide additional layers of defense. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual application behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1204.002: User Execution: Malicious File, which emphasizes the importance of preventing users from executing potentially malicious files that could trigger such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any similar issues in other applications that may be susceptible to similar memory access violation conditions.