CVE-2019-6988 in OpenJPEG
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in OpenJPEG 2.3.0. It allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (attempted excessive memory allocation) in opj_calloc in openjp2/opj_malloc.c, when called from opj_tcd_init_tile in openjp2/tcd.c, as demonstrated by the 64-bit opj_decompress.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-6988 represents a critical memory allocation flaw within the OpenJPEG 2.3.0 library, which is widely used for decoding jpeg2000 image files across numerous applications and systems. This issue manifests as a denial of service condition that can be remotely exploited by attackers to consume excessive system resources. The flaw specifically occurs during the decompression process when the library attempts to allocate memory for tile data structures, creating a scenario where malicious input can trigger uncontrolled memory growth. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core memory management functions of the library, making it a fundamental weakness that impacts any application relying on OpenJPEG for image processing.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies within the opj_calloc function located in the openjp2/opj_malloc.c file, which is invoked by the opj_tcd_init_tile function in openjp2/tcd.c. When processing maliciously crafted jpeg2000 files, the library fails to properly validate or limit the memory allocation requests that are generated during tile initialization. This allows an attacker to craft input data that causes the library to attempt allocating excessive memory blocks, potentially leading to system resource exhaustion and application crashes. The vulnerability is specifically demonstrated through the 64-bit opj_decompress utility, which serves as a standard tool for decompressing jpeg2000 images and exposes the flaw in the underlying memory management system.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-6988 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise system stability and availability across numerous platforms. Applications that utilize OpenJPEG for image processing, including web servers, image processing pipelines, and multimedia applications, become vulnerable to remote denial of service attacks. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by simply providing a specially crafted jpeg2000 file to any system running vulnerable software, causing the application to consume excessive memory resources and potentially crash or become unresponsive. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in server environments where resource exhaustion can lead to broader system instability and affect multiple users or services.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which specifically addresses improper handling of memory allocation failures, and represents a classic example of resource exhaustion attacks that fall under the ATT&CK technique T1499.3 for network denial of service. Organizations using vulnerable versions of OpenJPEG should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the library, implementing input validation for jpeg2000 files, and deploying monitoring systems to detect unusual memory allocation patterns. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts, while application-level sandboxing can provide additional protection against memory exhaustion attacks targeting the affected library functions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper resource management and input validation in cryptographic and multimedia processing libraries, particularly those handling complex file formats with extensive memory requirements.