CVE-2018-11706 in Image Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
FastStone Image Viewer 6.2 has a User Mode Write AV at 0x00578dd8, 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-2018-11706 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow condition within FastStone Image Viewer version 6.2 that manifests as a user mode write access violation. This flaw occurs specifically when the application attempts to process malformed JPEG files, exposing a fundamental weakness in the image parsing and memory management routines of FSViewer.exe. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it demonstrates a classic improper input validation issue that allows attackers to manipulate the application's memory handling through crafted file inputs. The access violation occurs at memory address 0x00578dd8, indicating a direct memory corruption event that can potentially lead to application instability or more severe exploitation outcomes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the application's insufficient bounds checking during JPEG file parsing operations, where the viewer fails to properly validate the structure and content of incoming image files. This failure creates an opportunity for attackers to craft specially formatted JPEG files that trigger memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable software. The flaw falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and specifically aligns with CWE-125, indicating out-of-bounds read or write operations that can result in memory corruption. The vulnerability's nature suggests that the application's JPEG parser does not adequately validate the size or structure of image segments, allowing malicious data to overwrite adjacent memory locations and corrupt the application's execution environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk for both individual users and enterprise environments where FastStone Image Viewer is commonly deployed. The potential for denial of service attacks is immediate, as the application will crash or become unresponsive when encountering malformed JPEG files, disrupting user workflows and potentially affecting productivity in environments where image viewing is a routine activity. The unspecified additional impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that this access violation could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated exploitation techniques, including privilege escalation or code execution, though this would require additional attack vectors or conditions. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of image viewing applications and can be exploited through social engineering tactics where users are tricked into opening maliciously crafted image files, making it particularly dangerous in phishing or malware distribution scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11706 should prioritize immediate patching of the FastStone Image Viewer application to the latest version that addresses this heap overflow condition. Organizations should implement restrictive file handling policies that prevent automatic execution of image files from untrusted sources and consider deploying application whitelisting solutions to control which image viewers can be executed on systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and memory safety practices in image processing applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate user execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage that may occur during exploitation attempts. Network-level defenses should include content filtering mechanisms that can identify and block potentially malicious image files, while endpoint protection solutions should monitor for suspicious memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of image processing applications and comprehensive vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other software components that may be susceptible to similar buffer overflow conditions.