CVE-2018-13153 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
In ImageMagick 7.0.8-4, there is a memory leak in the XMagickCommand function in MagickCore/animate.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13153 resides within ImageMagick version 7.0.8-4, specifically affecting the XMagickCommand function located in the MagickCore/animate.c source file. This memory leak represents a critical security flaw that can significantly impact system stability and resource availability. The issue manifests when processing certain image formats through the XMagickCommand functionality, where allocated memory is not properly released, leading to progressive memory consumption over time. Such memory management failures are particularly concerning in server environments where ImageMagick is frequently utilized for image processing tasks, as they can eventually lead to system resource exhaustion and potential denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-401 as a failure to release memory resources, which directly aligns with the standard classification for memory leak vulnerabilities in software systems.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs within the animation processing capabilities of ImageMagick, where the XMagickCommand function handles various image format conversions and manipulations. When the function processes certain malformed or specially crafted image files, it allocates memory blocks to store intermediate processing data but fails to properly deallocate these resources upon completion of the operation. This improper memory management creates a condition where each invocation of the vulnerable function consumes additional memory without corresponding release, resulting in a gradual accumulation of memory usage that can eventually exhaust available system resources. The vulnerability is particularly insidious because it can be triggered through legitimate image processing operations, making it difficult to distinguish between normal usage and exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this memory leak vulnerability extends beyond simple resource consumption, creating potential security risks that align with ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for resource exhaustion. Systems utilizing ImageMagick for image processing, particularly web applications, content management systems, and file upload functionalities, become vulnerable to progressive memory consumption that can degrade performance or cause complete system failure. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly submitting image files that trigger the XMagickCommand function, leading to gradual memory exhaustion that may cause the application or system to crash. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where ImageMagick is used to process user-uploaded content, as it could be leveraged for denial of service attacks against web applications. The memory leak can also compound other security issues, potentially leading to system instability and making the platform more susceptible to additional attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13153 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that have addressed this memory leak vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and sanitization measures when processing image files through ImageMagick, particularly focusing on limiting the number of concurrent image processing operations and implementing resource limits on memory usage. System administrators should monitor memory consumption patterns and implement automated alerting mechanisms to detect unusual memory growth that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, deploying network segmentation and access controls can limit the potential impact of exploitation by restricting access to systems running ImageMagick. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing, particularly for software libraries that handle untrusted input data. Organizations should also consider implementing application-level firewalls or web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious image file submissions that trigger known vulnerable code paths.