CVE-2018-9252 in Jasper
Summary
by MITRE
JasPer 2.0.14 allows denial of service via a reachable assertion in the function jpc_abstorelstepsize in libjasper/jpc/jpc_enc.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9252 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the JasPer library version 2.0.14. This issue manifests through a reachable assertion failure in the jpc_abstorelstepsize function located within the libjasper/jpc/jpc_enc.c source file. The JasPer library serves as a comprehensive software solution for handling JPEG 2000 image format processing, making it a widely utilized component in various applications ranging from medical imaging systems to digital photography software. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to trigger a program termination through an assertion that should never be reached under normal operational conditions, effectively causing the targeted application to crash and become unavailable to legitimate users.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the JPEG 2000 encoding process, specifically when handling certain bitstream configurations during the adaptive bit rate storage step size calculation. The jpc_abstorelstepsize function processes relative step size values during the encoding phase but fails to properly validate boundary conditions that could lead to assertion failures. This particular assertion failure occurs when the function encounters unexpected parameter combinations that violate internal assumptions about the data flow. According to CWE-617, this vulnerability falls under reachable assertion categories, where assertions that are meant to catch programming errors become reachable through malicious input, leading to program termination rather than graceful error handling. The flaw essentially creates a condition where an attacker can craft specific JPEG 2000 files that, when processed by applications using the vulnerable JasPer library, will cause the assertion to fail and terminate the application.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-9252 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially disrupt entire service availability chains. Applications that rely on JasPer for image processing, including medical imaging systems, digital archiving platforms, and content management systems, could experience significant downtime when processing maliciously crafted JPEG 2000 files. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where these applications process untrusted input from external sources, as it provides a straightforward method for conducting denial of service attacks without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the T1499.004 technique related to Network Denial of Service, where adversaries leverage software weaknesses to make systems unavailable to legitimate users. The attack surface is broad since the JasPer library is integrated into numerous software packages, making this vulnerability potentially exploitable across multiple attack vectors and target environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-9252 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by the JasPer development team. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to JasPer versions that contain fixes for this assertion failure, typically found in versions 2.0.15 and later. Additionally, implementing input validation layers at application boundaries can provide defense-in-depth measures by rejecting suspicious JPEG 2000 files before they reach the vulnerable library components. Network-based mitigations include deploying intrusion prevention systems that can detect and block known malicious JPEG 2000 file patterns, while application-level safeguards involve implementing proper error handling that prevents assertion failures from terminating processes. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual application termination patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and dependency updates within software supply chains, as this issue demonstrates how seemingly minor assertion failures in image processing libraries can create significant operational risks. Organizations utilizing JasPer should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for image processing tasks to limit the impact of potential exploitation attempts.