CVE-2022-41684 in OpenImageIO
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2022
A heap out of bounds read vulnerability exists in the OpenImageIO master-branch-9aeece7a when parsing the image file directory part of a PSD image file. A specially-crafted .psd file can cause a read of arbitrary memory address which can lead to denial of service. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2023
The heap out of bounds read vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-41684 resides within the OpenImageIO library, specifically in the master-branch-9aeece7a version, where the software fails to properly validate image file directory structures when processing Photoshop Document format files. This flaw manifests during the parsing of PSD image files, where the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated heap boundaries when encountering malformed or crafted image file directory entries. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms that should validate the size and structure of image metadata before attempting memory access operations, creating a scenario where arbitrary memory addresses can be accessed through malformed input data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly validate the length and structure of the image file directory section within PSD files, which follows the standard Photoshop file format specification. When processing these files, the OpenImageIO library does not adequately verify that the data pointers and offsets within the image file directory remain within valid memory boundaries, allowing an attacker to craft a malicious PSD file that contains crafted metadata entries. This results in a heap-based buffer overread condition where the application attempts to read memory beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially accessing sensitive data or causing application instability.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant denial of service risk to systems that utilize OpenImageIO for image processing, particularly in environments where untrusted image files are processed automatically. The arbitrary memory read can cause application crashes, leading to service disruption, and may potentially expose sensitive information from adjacent memory regions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by preparing a malicious PSD file that triggers the out of bounds read during normal image parsing operations, making it particularly dangerous in automated processing environments such as web applications, content management systems, or digital asset management platforms that handle user-uploaded images.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in binary format parsers. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to disrupt services through crafted file uploads, and potentially to gather information from memory through the arbitrary read behavior. Organizations using OpenImageIO should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, memory access restrictions, and application sandboxing to prevent exploitation. The recommended remediation involves updating to a patched version of OpenImageIO where proper bounds checking has been implemented, along with implementing additional defensive measures such as file format validation, memory protection mechanisms, and runtime monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts.