CVE-2017-8830 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.5-6, the ReadBMPImage function in bmp.c:1379 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory leak) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8830 represents a critical memory management flaw within ImageMagick's bitmap image processing functionality. This issue specifically affects version 7.0.5-6 of the software where the ReadBMPImage function in the bmp.c source file at line 1379 fails to properly handle memory allocation during the parsing of maliciously crafted bitmap files. The flaw manifests as a memory leak condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to consume system resources progressively, ultimately leading to denial of service scenarios. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory cleanup mechanisms within the image parsing pipeline, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the software's resource consumption patterns through carefully constructed input files.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker provides a malformed bitmap file that triggers the ReadBMPImage function to allocate memory without proper subsequent deallocation. This memory leak behavior creates a gradual consumption of available system memory, potentially causing the target system or application to become unresponsive or crash entirely. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-401 as a weakness related to improper management of memory allocation and deallocation, specifically focusing on memory leaks that occur during the processing of untrusted input data. The flaw operates at the application level within the image processing subsystem, where the software fails to maintain proper resource accounting during image parsing operations, leading to cumulative memory consumption that degrades system performance over time.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that process untrusted image files, particularly those that rely on ImageMagick for image handling capabilities. The denial of service impact can affect web applications, file processing services, and content management systems that utilize ImageMagick for image manipulation and conversion tasks. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by uploading or providing malicious bitmap files that, when processed by the vulnerable software, trigger the memory leak condition. The attack vector is particularly concerning in environments where automated image processing occurs, as the memory consumption can escalate rapidly and may go unnoticed until system performance degrades significantly. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 which describes the use of resource exhaustion attacks to cause denial of service conditions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8830 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that contain the patched ReadBMPImage function with proper memory management controls. System administrators should implement input validation measures that filter or reject suspicious image files before they reach the ImageMagick processing pipeline. Additionally, deploying application-level sandboxing or containerization techniques can limit the impact of memory leaks to isolated environments, preventing complete system compromise. Network-level firewalls and intrusion detection systems can be configured to monitor for patterns associated with malicious image file uploads that may trigger this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated ImageMagick installations, as this flaw represents a persistent risk to systems that have not been properly updated. The implementation of memory monitoring tools and automated alerting systems can help detect the onset of memory leak conditions before they escalate into full denial of service events.