CVE-2017-7598 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
tif_dirread.c in LibTIFF 4.0.7 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via a crafted image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7598 resides within the LibTIFF library version 4.0.7, specifically in the tif_dirread.c component responsible for reading TIFF directory structures. This flaw represents a critical security issue that can be exploited remotely, allowing attackers to trigger a divide-by-zero error leading to application crashes and potential denial of service conditions. The vulnerability manifests when processing crafted TIFF images that contain malformed directory entries or incorrect field values that cause arithmetic operations to attempt division by zero during the image parsing process. Such malicious inputs can be delivered through various attack vectors including web uploads, file downloads, or any application that processes TIFF image files using the vulnerable LibTIFF library.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the TIFF directory reading functionality. When the tif_dirread.c module processes a crafted image, it encounters malformed data structures that result in invalid mathematical operations during the parsing of image metadata. The divide-by-zero error occurs when the library attempts to perform calculations using corrupted or unexpected values from the TIFF directory entries, particularly in fields related to image dimensions, compression parameters, or other metadata values. This type of error represents a classic software bug that falls under the CWE-369 weakness category, specifically CWE-369 "Division by Zero" which is a well-documented vulnerability pattern in software security. The flaw demonstrates poor error handling and input sanitization practices that are fundamental to secure coding principles.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7598 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially compromise entire systems that rely on TIFF image processing capabilities. Applications affected by this vulnerability include web servers processing image uploads, content management systems, digital asset management platforms, and any software that utilizes LibTIFF for image handling. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can trigger the vulnerability without requiring local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing environments. This vulnerability can be leveraged to create persistent denial of service conditions that may affect availability of critical services, potentially disrupting business operations and user access to applications that depend on image processing functionality. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers "Cloud Service Account" and related denial of service attacks that can be executed through software vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7598 should focus on immediate patching of the LibTIFF library to version 4.0.8 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the divide-by-zero error. Organizations should also implement input validation measures and sandboxing techniques when processing untrusted image files, particularly in web applications where users can upload content. Network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts, while application-level defenses including proper error handling, input sanitization, and resource limiting can reduce the impact of potential attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments of third-party libraries and dependencies should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software libraries and implementing robust security practices throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.