CVE-2018-11707 in Image Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
FastStone Image Viewer 6.2 has a User Mode Read and Execute AV at 0x0057898e, 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-2018-11707 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within FastStone Image Viewer version 6.2 that manifests as a user mode access violation during JPEG file processing. This issue occurs at memory address 0x0057898e within the FSViewer.exe executable, indicating a direct memory manipulation problem that arises from improper handling of malformed image files. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's JPEG parser implementation, which fails to properly validate input data structures before attempting to process them, creating a pathway for memory access violations that can be triggered by maliciously crafted image files.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic buffer overflow pattern where the application attempts to read or execute memory at an invalid address, resulting in an access violation that typically terminates the application process. This behavior aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array indices. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with a user mode exploitation vector that can be leveraged for denial of service attacks, where the application crashes upon encountering malformed input data, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing image files through the vulnerable software.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to end users who may inadvertently open maliciously crafted JPEG files, either through social engineering attacks or by downloading compromised images from untrusted sources. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it can potentially be exploited for more sophisticated attacks depending on the specific memory corruption patterns and the attacker's ability to control execution flow. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction, as simply opening a malformed JPEG file triggers the access violation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently open images from unknown or untrusted sources.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses all users running FastStone Image Viewer version 6.2 who may encounter maliciously crafted JPEG files, whether through email attachments, web browsing, or file sharing activities. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently execute malicious files. The lack of specific information about potential code execution capabilities suggests that while the primary impact is denial of service, the vulnerability may potentially be extended to more sophisticated exploitation techniques depending on the memory layout and protection mechanisms in place. Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their security assessments and implement appropriate mitigations including software updates, user education, and network-based controls to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in image processing applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate user execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios.