CVE-2017-9182 in AutoTrace
Summary
by MITRE
libautotrace.a in AutoTrace 0.31.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free and invalid heap read), related to the GET_COLOR function in color.c:16:11.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9182 resides within the libautotrace.a library component of AutoTrace version 0.31.1, presenting a significant security risk that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that stems from improper memory management practices within the GET_COLOR function located in the color.c source file at line 16, column 11. The affected software library is commonly used for vector graphics conversion and image processing tasks, making it a potential target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt services or compromise system availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a use-after-free condition combined with an invalid heap read, which are classic memory corruption flaws that can lead to unpredictable behavior and system instability. When the GET_COLOR function processes input data, it appears to reference memory locations that have already been freed or access memory that has not been properly allocated, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious input that triggers these memory access violations. The use-after-free aspect occurs when the program attempts to access memory that was previously deallocated, while the invalid heap read happens when the program tries to read from memory locations that are not properly initialized or have been corrupted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks that could escalate to arbitrary code execution or complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this flaw to cause applications utilizing AutoTrace to crash repeatedly, effectively rendering them unusable and creating denial of service conditions that could impact legitimate users and system availability. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where AutoTrace is used as part of automated processing pipelines or in server applications that handle user-provided input files.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9182 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that have patched the memory management issues within the libautotrace.a library. Organizations should also implement input validation measures to filter potentially malicious data before it reaches the vulnerable GET_COLOR function, while monitoring system logs for signs of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes use-after-free conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read errors, both of which are commonly exploited in remote code execution scenarios. Additionally, this vulnerability could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a classic example of how memory corruption flaws can be leveraged to achieve system availability compromise. System administrators should also consider implementing application sandboxing or containerization strategies to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other third-party libraries and components used within their infrastructure.