CVE-2022-2519 in libtiff
Summary
by MITRE • 08/31/2022
There is a double free or corruption in rotateImage() at tiffcrop.c:8839 found in libtiff 4.4.0rc1
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2519 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the libtiff library version 4.4.0rc1, specifically within the rotateImage() function located in tiffcrop.c at line 8839. This flaw constitutes a double free condition that occurs during image rotation operations, creating a scenario where memory allocated for image processing is freed twice, leading to potential heap corruption and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability manifests when the tiffcrop utility processes TIFF images that undergo rotation transformations, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated image processing is performed.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper memory management within the image rotation algorithm, where the software fails to properly track memory allocations and deallocations during the complex operations required for rotating image data. This double free condition creates a state where freed memory chunks are returned to the heap twice, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate heap metadata or overwrite critical data structures. The flaw exists at the intersection of memory management best practices and image processing algorithms, where the rotation operation requires multiple memory allocations that are not properly synchronized in their deallocation sequences.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that rely on libtiff for image processing, particularly in environments where untrusted TIFF files are processed automatically. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious TIFF files that, when processed through tiffcrop or other applications using the affected library, trigger the double free condition. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a critical concern for web applications, image processing servers, and automated workflow systems. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is heightened by the widespread use of libtiff across various platforms and applications, creating a broad attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2519 should prioritize immediate patching of libtiff to version 4.4.0 or later, where the double free condition has been addressed through improved memory management practices. Organizations should implement input validation and sanitization measures for all TIFF file processing, particularly when handling external or untrusted inputs. Additionally, deployment of heap-based security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can help reduce the exploitability of this vulnerability. The remediation approach should align with industry standards including CWE-415 for double free conditions and ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage that might be employed in exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify systems running affected versions of libtiff and ensure comprehensive protection against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.