CVE-2017-7940 in ImageWorsener
Summary
by MITRE
The iw_read_gif_file function in imagew-gif.c in libimageworsener.a in ImageWorsener 1.3.0 allows remote attackers to consume an amount of available memory via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7940 represents a critical memory consumption issue within the ImageWorsener library version 1.3.0. This flaw exists in the iw_read_gif_file function located in the imagew-gif.c module of the libimageworsener.a library, which is designed for image processing and manipulation. The vulnerability specifically affects applications that utilize this library for handling gif image files, creating a potential denial of service scenario where remote attackers can exploit the flaw to consume excessive system memory resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory allocation handling within the GIF file parsing logic. When the iw_read_gif_file function processes a specially crafted gif file, it fails to properly validate the file structure and memory requirements before allocating memory buffers. This allows attackers to construct malicious gif files that trigger excessive memory allocation patterns, leading to memory exhaustion on the target system. The flaw operates at the application level where the library processes image data without sufficient bounds checking or resource limiting mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that process user-uploaded or externally sourced gif images. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to launch denial of service attacks against web applications, file servers, or any system that relies on ImageWorsener for image processing. The memory consumption can be substantial and potentially unlimited depending on the crafted payload, leading to system instability, application crashes, or complete service unavailability. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that accept image uploads or process external image references without proper sanitization.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-400, which describes "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.1, "Resource Hijacking" in its potential to consume system resources. Organizations using ImageWorsener version 1.3.0 should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the library, implementing input validation for image files, and deploying rate limiting mechanisms for image processing operations. Additionally, systems should monitor for unusual memory consumption patterns and implement proper resource limits for image processing services. The recommended remediation involves updating to the latest stable version of ImageWorsener where this memory handling issue has been addressed through improved input validation and memory allocation controls.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of proper resource management in image processing libraries, particularly when handling untrusted input data. This flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign file format parsing can become a vector for resource exhaustion attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of third-party libraries. System administrators should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify all applications using affected versions of ImageWorsener and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent exploitation of similar memory consumption vulnerabilities in other image processing components.