CVE-2019-20052 in matio
Summary
by MITRE
A memory leak was discovered in Mat_VarCalloc in mat.c in matio 1.5.17 because SafeMulDims does not consider the rank==0 case.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20052 represents a critical memory management flaw within the matio library version 1.5.17 which is widely used for reading and writing MATLAB data files. This memory leak occurs in the Mat_VarCalloc function located in the mat.c source file, where the library fails to properly handle memory allocation for variables with zero rank dimensions. The flaw specifically stems from the SafeMulDims function which is responsible for safely multiplying array dimensions while allocating memory for MATLAB variables. When processing variables with rank equal to zero, the SafeMulDims function does not account for this edge case, leading to improper memory allocation calculations that result in memory leaks during the variable creation process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the matio library's handling of MATLAB file format parsing where variables with zero rank dimensions should be treated as scalar values. However, the SafeMulDims function lacks proper validation for the rank==0 scenario, causing it to either allocate insufficient memory or fail to allocate memory entirely. This memory leak becomes particularly problematic when processing large MATLAB files containing numerous zero-rank variables or when the library is used in applications that repeatedly process such files. The flaw essentially creates a condition where allocated memory is not properly released back to the system, leading to progressive memory consumption that can eventually cause application crashes or system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to applications that rely on matio for processing MATLAB data files, particularly in environments where memory resources are constrained or where applications must maintain long-running processes. The memory leak can accumulate over time, especially in applications that frequently read or write MATLAB files, potentially leading to denial of service conditions or performance degradation. Security implications extend beyond simple resource exhaustion as this vulnerability could be exploited in denial of service attacks against applications using matio, or could potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities to create more complex attack vectors. The vulnerability affects systems where matio is used as a library component, including scientific computing applications, data analysis platforms, and MATLAB integration tools.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-20052 should prioritize immediate patching of the matio library to version 1.5.18 or later where the memory leak has been addressed. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all applications that depend on affected versions of matio and ensure proper patch management protocols are followed. Additionally, implementing memory monitoring and alerting systems can help detect memory leak symptoms before they escalate into critical operational issues. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which addresses improper handling of memory allocation failures, and could potentially be leveraged in ATT&CK techniques related to resource exhaustion and denial of service. Organizations should also consider implementing input validation and sanitization measures when processing MATLAB files to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation through malformed data files that might trigger the memory leak condition.