CVE-2017-6500 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in ImageMagick 6.9.7. A specially crafted sun file triggers a heap-based buffer over-read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6500 represents a critical heap-based buffer over-read flaw within ImageMagick version 6.9.7 and earlier releases. This security issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms when processing sun image files, which are part of the Sun Raster Image format commonly used in Unix-based systems. The flaw manifests when the software attempts to parse malformed sun files that contain oversized data structures, leading to memory access violations that can potentially be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a specific memory management error where ImageMagick's image processing pipeline fails to properly bounds-check memory allocations when handling sun file headers. When a specially crafted sun file is processed, the software reads data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, causing a heap-based buffer over-read condition. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in information disclosure, application crashes, or potentially remote code execution depending on the exploitation context.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6500 extends beyond simple application instability, as it presents a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to compromise systems that process image files. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including web applications that accept image uploads, email systems processing image attachments, or content management systems handling user-generated media. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving execution through compromised systems and privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution with the privileges of the affected application.
Security researchers have documented that exploitation of this vulnerability can result in denial of service conditions, information leakage, and potentially full system compromise depending on the execution environment. The heap-based nature of the buffer over-read means that attackers can manipulate memory contents to alter program execution flow, making this particularly dangerous in server environments where ImageMagick is used for automated image processing. Organizations running vulnerable versions of ImageMagick should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest stable releases, implementing input validation controls, and deploying network segmentation to limit exposure.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2017-6500 requires organizations to update their ImageMagick installations to version 6.9.8-0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer over-read condition. Additionally, system administrators should implement proper input validation mechanisms and consider implementing sandboxing techniques to isolate image processing operations. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious image file processing activities and network traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential exposure points where similar buffer over-read conditions might exist in their software ecosystems, as these types of memory safety issues remain prevalent in legacy software systems.