CVE-2022-1114 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE • 04/29/2022
A heap-use-after-free flaw was found in ImageMagick's RelinquishDCMInfo() function of dcm.c file. This vulnerability is triggered when an attacker passes a specially crafted DICOM image file to ImageMagick for conversion, potentially leading to information disclosure and a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2022
The heap-use-after-free vulnerability in ImageMagick's RelinquishDCMInfo() function represents a critical memory safety issue that can be exploited through crafted DICOM image files. This flaw exists within the dcm.c source file and demonstrates a classic memory management error where freed heap memory is accessed after deallocation. The vulnerability occurs during the processing of medical imaging files in DICOM format, which are widely used in healthcare systems for storing and transmitting medical images and related data. When an attacker submits a maliciously constructed DICOM file to ImageMagick for conversion, the application's handling of memory allocation and deallocation creates conditions where subsequent access to freed memory segments can occur.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of memory pointers within the DICOM processing pipeline. During the conversion process, ImageMagick allocates memory for DICOM information structures and subsequently frees this memory through the RelinquishDCMInfo() function. However, the application fails to properly invalidate pointers or prevent subsequent references to this freed memory space. This memory corruption can manifest in various ways including information disclosure where adjacent memory contents become accessible, or denial of service through application crashes or hangs. The heap-use-after-free condition is particularly dangerous because it can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause unpredictable behavior in applications that process these image files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially compromise system integrity and confidentiality. In healthcare environments where ImageMagick is commonly deployed for medical image processing, this vulnerability could allow attackers to extract sensitive patient data from memory or cause critical medical applications to fail. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize ImageMagick for DICOM file handling, which includes medical imaging systems, radiology workstations, and various healthcare information systems. Attackers could exploit this flaw in web applications that accept image uploads, file conversion services, or automated processing pipelines that handle medical imaging data, potentially leading to unauthorized access to protected health information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of ImageMagick installations to address the heap-use-after-free condition in the dcm.c file. Organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization for all DICOM file processing, particularly in environments where untrusted input is accepted. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of systems processing medical imaging files. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which addresses use after free conditions, and represents a significant risk in environments governed by healthcare privacy regulations such as HIPAA. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual memory access patterns or application crashes during image processing operations, while regular security assessments should verify proper memory management implementation in image processing libraries.
This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of memory safety in image processing libraries, particularly those handling sensitive medical data formats. The attack surface is expanded through web applications, file sharing systems, and automated processing workflows that may not adequately validate input file formats. Organizations should consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing operations and establish comprehensive incident response procedures for memory corruption vulnerabilities. The remediation process requires careful testing to ensure that patches do not introduce regressions in legitimate image processing functionality while maintaining the security posture against heap-based memory corruption attacks.