CVE-2017-9500 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.5-8 Q16, an assertion failure was found in the function ResetImageProfileIterator, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9500 represents a critical assertion failure within ImageMagick's image processing library, specifically affecting version 7.0.5-8 Q16. This flaw exists in the ResetImageProfileIterator function, which is responsible for managing image profile iterators during image processing operations. The assertion failure occurs when ImageMagick encounters a specially crafted malicious file that triggers an unexpected condition within the software's internal state management mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the category of denial of service attacks, where an attacker can cause the application to crash or become unresponsive through careful manipulation of input data structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling within ImageMagick's profile iterator reset functionality. When processing a malformed image file, the ResetImageProfileIterator function fails to properly validate the state of internal data structures, leading to an assertion failure that terminates the application process. This represents a classic buffer over-read or state corruption issue that can be exploited by adversaries who craft malicious image files with malformed metadata or profile information. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where the software does not adequately check preconditions before executing critical operations, making it susceptible to controlled crashes through crafted inputs.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process untrusted image files, particularly web applications, content management systems, and file processing services that utilize ImageMagick for image manipulation. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform denial of service attacks against services that rely on ImageMagick, potentially causing widespread disruption to image processing capabilities. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can affect automated workflows, user experience, and system availability in environments where image processing is a core function. Systems that automatically process uploaded images or handle image transformations through ImageMagick are particularly vulnerable to this type of attack.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9500 should include immediate patching of ImageMagick installations to version 7.0.5-9 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the assertion failure. Organizations should implement input validation and sanitization measures that filter or reject suspicious image files before they reach the ImageMagick processing layer. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can help limit the attack surface by restricting which systems can process image files. Additionally, implementing monitoring and logging for image processing activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for denial of service and CWE-248 for an uncaught exception, highlighting the importance of proper error handling and defensive programming practices in software development. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms or containerization for image processing operations to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.