CVE-2017-8347 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.5-5, the ReadEXRImage function in exr.c allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory leak) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8347 affects ImageMagick version 7.0.5-5 and represents a significant denial of service weakness within the image processing framework. This flaw specifically resides in the ReadEXRImage function located within the exr.c source file, where attackers can exploit a memory leak condition through the careful crafting of malicious image files. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper resource management in multimedia processing libraries that handle complex file formats, particularly those used extensively in web applications and content management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory deallocation mechanisms within the EXR (OpenEXR) image format parser. When ImageMagick processes a specially crafted EXR file, the ReadEXRImage function fails to properly release allocated memory blocks during the parsing process, leading to progressive memory consumption that eventually results in system resource exhaustion. This memory leak pattern aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper management of memory allocation and deallocation, making it a classic example of resource exhaustion through memory management failure. The vulnerability operates at the application level where the image processing library fails to maintain proper memory hygiene during file parsing operations.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to systems that rely on ImageMagick for image processing tasks, particularly web applications that accept user-uploaded images. Attackers can exploit this weakness by uploading malicious EXR files that, when processed by the vulnerable ImageMagick version, will cause the target system to gradually consume available memory until the service becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect system availability in environments where multiple concurrent image processing operations occur. This type of denial of service attack operates through the ATT&CK framework's T1499.004 technique, which specifically addresses resource exhaustion through memory consumption, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments and shared hosting platforms.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2017-8347 requires immediate upgrade to ImageMagick version 7.0.5-6 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory leak condition in the EXR image parser. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and file type checking mechanisms to prevent processing of untrusted image files, particularly those with EXR extensions. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing memory monitoring and resource limiting measures to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the necessity of regular security updates and proper patch management protocols, as well as the importance of conducting security assessments on third-party libraries used in critical applications. Organizations utilizing ImageMagick should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques and file format validation to minimize the impact of similar vulnerabilities in other image processing components.