CVE-2017-15796 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!LdrpSearchResourceSection_U+0x0000000000000386."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15796 represents a critical denial of service condition affecting IrfanView version 4.50 64bit installations. This flaw manifests when the image viewer processes a maliciously crafted .dll file during icon rendering operations, creating a scenario where the application fails to properly handle memory access violations. The specific technical indicator points to a read access violation occurring at ntdll!LdrpSearchResourceSection_U+0x0000000000000386, which indicates a low-level operating system function responsible for resource section searching within dynamically linked libraries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation and memory management during the icon extraction process for dynamic link libraries. When IrfanView attempts to display the icon of a malicious .dll file, the application's resource handling mechanism encounters a memory access violation that results in application termination or system instability. This behavior aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and CWE-119, addressing improper access to memory buffers. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of application-level processing and operating system memory management, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to end users and organizations that utilize IrfanView for document management or image processing tasks. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users could experience application crashes or system freezes when encountering malicious files, potentially disrupting workflow processes. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the description suggest that while the primary effect is denial of service, there may be potential for additional security implications including information disclosure or privilege escalation depending on the execution context. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where users might encounter untrusted files or where automated file processing occurs, as the exploitation requires no special privileges beyond normal user access.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2017-15796 primarily involves immediate software updates from the vendor to address the memory handling flaw in the icon rendering process. Organizations should implement file validation procedures to prevent automatic processing of potentially malicious .dll files, particularly in environments where users might encounter untrusted content. Network administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict IrfanView execution in high-risk environments, while security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203, "Exploitation for Client Execution," as it represents a technique where an attacker exploits a software vulnerability to execute malicious code or cause system instability. System administrators should also consider implementing endpoint protection measures that can detect and block suspicious file handling patterns, particularly those involving dynamic link libraries. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated IrfanView installations, as this vulnerability may persist in unpatched systems and could be exploited in combination with other attack vectors.