CVE-2018-7551 in sam2p
Summary
by MITRE
There is an invalid free in MiniPS::delete0 in minips.cpp that leads to a Segmentation fault in sam2p 0.49.4. A crafted input will lead to a denial of service or possibly unspecified other impact.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7551 represents a critical memory management flaw within the sam2p 0.49.4 software suite, specifically within the MiniPS::delete0 function located in the minips.cpp source file. This issue manifests as an invalid free operation that occurs during the processing of malformed input data, creating a scenario where the application attempts to release memory that has either already been freed or was never properly allocated. The flaw resides in the improper handling of memory deallocation routines, which directly violates fundamental principles of safe memory management practices. Such invalid free operations are classified under CWE-415 as double free conditions or CWE-416 as use after free vulnerabilities, depending on the specific execution path taken by the flawed code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a specially formatted input file that triggers the problematic code path within the MiniPS::delete0 function. When the sam2p application processes this malicious input, it follows a sequence where the program attempts to free memory resources that are either already freed or contain invalid memory addresses. This improper memory deallocation results in a segmentation fault that causes the application to crash abruptly, effectively leading to a denial of service condition. The segmentation fault occurs because the memory allocator's internal data structures become corrupted when an invalid free operation is performed, causing the program to terminate unexpectedly. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service and represents a classic example of memory corruption that can potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7551 extends beyond simple application instability, as it affects any system that relies on sam2p for image format conversion or processing tasks. Organizations using this software in automated workflows, batch processing environments, or as part of larger document conversion pipelines face significant risk of service disruption when malicious inputs are processed. The vulnerability can be exploited in various contexts including web applications that accept file uploads, automated document processing systems, or any environment where user-supplied data is converted through the sam2p utility. The potential for unspecified other impacts cannot be ruled out, as memory corruption vulnerabilities may occasionally lead to information disclosure or arbitrary code execution depending on the specific memory layout and system configuration. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability represents a clear violation of secure coding practices and demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in preventing system instability and potential exploitation. The flaw underscores the necessity of thorough input validation and memory management testing, particularly in applications that process untrusted data from external sources. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing additional input validation measures to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in production environments.