CVE-2017-7721 in IrfanView
Summary
by MITRE
IrfanView version 4.44 (32bit) with FPX Plugin before 4.45 has an Access Violation and crash in processing a FlashPix (.FPX) file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7721 affects IrfanView version 4.44 32bit when utilizing the FPX Plugin, representing a critical memory corruption issue that manifests as an access violation and subsequent application crash. This vulnerability specifically targets the processing of FlashPix format files which are commonly used for high-resolution digital images in professional photography and publishing environments. The flaw exists within the plugin architecture that handles the decompression and rendering of FlashPix files, indicating a fundamental weakness in input validation and memory management within the image processing pipeline.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking and memory handling within the FPX plugin module. When IrfanView encounters a malformed or maliciously crafted FlashPix file, the plugin fails to properly validate the file structure before attempting to access memory regions that may be outside the allocated buffer boundaries. This leads to an access violation error where the application attempts to read or write to memory locations that are either unmapped or protected, causing the application to terminate abruptly. The vulnerability can be classified as a buffer over-read or memory corruption issue that directly violates the principles of secure memory management and input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it creates a potential vector for denial of service attacks against systems running vulnerable versions of IrfanView. An attacker could craft a malicious FlashPix file that, when opened by an unsuspecting user, would cause the application to crash and potentially expose the system to further exploitation. This vulnerability affects the core functionality of image viewing applications and could be particularly dangerous in environments where automated image processing or batch operations are performed. The vulnerability also represents a significant concern for digital forensics and multimedia analysis tools that rely on robust image handling capabilities.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 out-of-bounds read and CWE-787 out-of-bounds write classifications, demonstrating the fundamental nature of memory safety issues in image processing libraries. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a software exploitation technique under the T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, as it leverages application-specific vulnerabilities to execute malicious payloads or cause system instability. Organizations using IrfanView for image processing, digital asset management, or multimedia content creation should immediately implement mitigations including updating to version 4.45 or later, implementing file validation procedures, and restricting user access to potentially malicious image files. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper plugin architecture design and the necessity of rigorous input validation in multimedia processing applications that handle various file formats.