CVE-2017-3004 in Photoshop
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Photoshop versions CC 2017 (18.0.1) and earlier, CC 2015.5.1 (17.0.1) and earlier have a memory corruption vulnerability when parsing malicious PCX files. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2020
Adobe Photoshop contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability in its PCX file parsing implementation that affects multiple versions including CC 2017 (18.0.1) and earlier, as well as CC 2015.5.1 (17.0.1) and earlier releases. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management when processing specially crafted PCX image files that contain malformed data structures. The flaw occurs during the decompression and parsing phase where the application fails to properly bounds-check array accesses and memory allocations, leading to heap-based buffer overflows that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution. When a victim opens a maliciously crafted PCX file, the application's parsing routine attempts to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, causing unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected user. The memory corruption manifests when the parser encounters malformed PCX headers or compressed data streams that trigger improper memory handling routines, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory locations including return addresses or function pointers. This vulnerability represents a significant threat in targeted attack scenarios where adversaries might deliver malicious PCX files through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Photoshop is commonly used for image editing and design work.
The exploitability of this vulnerability is heightened by the fact that Photoshop is frequently used in professional settings where users may open files from untrusted sources without proper security considerations. Attackers can craft PCX files that appear legitimate but contain carefully constructed payloads designed to trigger the buffer overflow during normal file processing operations. The memory corruption occurs in the application's graphics processing pipeline where PCX format-specific decompression algorithms are invoked, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to detect through standard security monitoring. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute malicious code, escalate privileges, or establish persistent access to the affected system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution as it can be combined with other techniques to bypass modern security mitigations such as ASLR, DEP, and stack canaries that are typically present in contemporary operating systems. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious file, making it particularly effective for social engineering campaigns. The lack of proper input sanitization in the PCX parser means that even seemingly benign image files could contain hidden malicious payloads that remain undetected until the file is opened and processed by Photoshop.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop where the vulnerability has been patched, disabling automatic opening of image files from untrusted sources, and implementing strict file validation policies for incoming attachments or downloads. Network security controls such as content filtering and sandboxing should be deployed to prevent malicious PCX files from reaching end users. System administrators should consider disabling the PCX file format support entirely if it is not required for business operations, as this eliminates the attack surface associated with this specific vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and input validation in multimedia processing applications, particularly those handling complex file formats with extensive parsing requirements. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability, including unusual file processing activity or unexpected code execution patterns in systems where Photoshop is installed. Regular security assessments should include vulnerability scanning for outdated software versions and comprehensive testing of file parsing routines in image processing applications to identify similar memory corruption issues. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that reduce the attack surface available to adversaries targeting creative software applications. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of opening untrusted image files and the potential consequences of executing malicious code through legitimate software applications.