CVE-2018-11705 in Image Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
FastStone Image Viewer 6.2 has a User Mode Write AV at 0x00578cc4, triggered when the user opens a malformed JPEG file that is mishandled by FSViewer.exe. Attackers could exploit this issue for DoS (Access Violation) or possibly unspecified other impact.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11705 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow condition within FastStone Image Viewer version 6.2 that manifests as a user mode write access violation at memory address 0x00578cc4. This flaw occurs when the application processes malformed JPEG image files through its FSViewer.exe executable component, demonstrating a classic improper input validation issue that allows attackers to manipulate the application's memory management routines. The vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Heap-based Buffer Overflow, which is categorized as a memory safety issue that directly impacts the integrity of application runtime memory structures. The specific memory address indicates the application's failure to properly validate or sanitize JPEG file headers and metadata during the parsing process, leading to unauthorized memory writes that can corrupt the application's execution environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the access violation can potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated exploitation techniques within the context of the ATT&CK framework's execution and privilege escalation domains. When a user opens a specially crafted malicious JPEG file, the application's image parsing routine fails to properly handle the malformed data structure, causing the program to attempt writing data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This memory corruption scenario creates opportunities for attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause the application to crash in a predictable manner, which could be exploited in targeted attacks against unsuspecting users. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, as it only requires opening the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in social engineering campaigns or automated attack scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11705 should prioritize immediate patch application from the vendor, as the vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent versions of FastStone Image Viewer. Organizations should implement defensive measures including application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized image viewers, network-based file filtering to prevent malicious JPEG files from reaching end users, and user education regarding the risks of opening untrusted image files. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image viewing applications and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in image processing libraries, and organizations should review their image handling workflows to ensure similar issues are not present in other applications. Regular security assessments of third-party software components, particularly those handling file parsing operations, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar memory safety vulnerabilities that could provide attackers with persistent access vectors.