CVE-2017-18028 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.7-1 Q16, a memory exhaustion vulnerability was found in the function ReadTIFFImage in coders/tiff.c, which allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18028 represents a critical memory exhaustion flaw within ImageMagick's TIFF image processing functionality. This issue exists in version 7.0.7-1 Q16 and specifically affects the ReadTIFFImage function located in the coders/tiff.c source file. The flaw enables remote attackers to craft malicious TIFF files that trigger excessive memory allocation during image parsing operations, ultimately leading to system resource exhaustion and potential denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the TIFF parser implementation. When ImageMagick processes a specially crafted TIFF file, the ReadTIFFImage function fails to properly constrain memory allocation based on the file's metadata and structure. This allows an attacker to manipulate the parsing logic through carefully constructed image headers and data sequences that cause the application to allocate progressively larger memory blocks. The vulnerability manifests as a classic resource exhaustion attack pattern where the targeted system's memory consumption grows uncontrollably until system stability is compromised.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process untrusted image files, particularly those running ImageMagick as part of web applications, content management systems, or file processing services. The denial of service condition can affect not only the specific application but potentially the entire system if the memory exhaustion leads to system crashes or resource starvation. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where automated image processing occurs, as attackers can exploit it to disrupt services without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to include potential system instability and resource exhaustion that can affect other running processes.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes memory allocation and deallocation issues as a primary concern for denial of service attacks. Additionally, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which describes the exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities for denial of service purposes. Organizations utilizing ImageMagick for image processing should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions, as the vulnerability exists in the widely used 7.0.7-1 Q16 release. Mitigation strategies include implementing strict file validation before processing, deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious TIFF file patterns, and establishing memory limits for image processing services to prevent complete system exhaustion. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar memory management issues in other image processing libraries and applications.