CVE-2017-17680 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.7-12 Q16, a memory leak vulnerability was found in the function ReadXPMImage in coders/xpm.c, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted xpm image file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17680 represents a critical memory leak flaw within ImageMagick's processing pipeline specifically affecting version 7.0.7-12 Q16. This issue manifests in the ReadXPMImage function located within the coders/xpm.c source file, demonstrating how seemingly innocuous image format handling can become a vector for significant system disruption. The flaw operates by exploiting improper memory management during the parsing of XPM (X PixMap) image files, creating a condition where allocated memory resources are not properly released back to the system after processing incomplete or maliciously crafted input.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a specially crafted XPM image file that triggers the memory leak condition within ImageMagick's image processing engine. During the execution of ReadXPMImage, the application fails to correctly handle memory allocation and deallocation routines, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually exhaust available system resources. This memory leak behavior creates a denial of service condition where legitimate system operations become impaired due to resource exhaustion, as the application continues to consume memory without proper cleanup of previously allocated resources.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process untrusted image content, particularly web applications, content management systems, and file upload mechanisms that utilize ImageMagick for image handling. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including web interfaces, email attachments, and file sharing platforms where users can upload image files. The memory leak effect compounds over time, potentially allowing attackers to consume system resources gradually until the target system becomes unresponsive or crashes, effectively creating a persistent denial of service condition that can be difficult to detect and mitigate.
Security practitioners should note this vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for resource exhaustion attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates how image processing libraries can become attack surfaces when they fail to implement proper input validation and resource management practices. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of ImageMagick, implementing restrictive file upload controls, and deploying sandboxing mechanisms to isolate image processing operations. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious file upload patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this specific memory leak vulnerability.