CVE-2022-41999 in OpenImageIO
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2022
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the DDS native tile reading functionality of OpenImageIO Project OpenImageIO v2.3.19.0 and v2.4.4.2. A specially-crafted .dds 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-41999 represents a critical denial of service condition within the OpenImageIO project's native tile reading functionality for .dds file format processing. This issue affects specific versions including v2.3.19.0 and v2.4.4.2, where the software fails to properly validate or handle malformed tile data structures within .dds image files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that allow crafted malicious .dds files to cause the application to crash or become unresponsive during normal file processing operations. The flaw exists in the way the software interprets tile dimensions, metadata, or data layout within the .dds container format, creating a scenario where legitimate image processing workflows can be disrupted by adversarial inputs.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates through improper memory management and control flow handling when processing tile-based image data structures. The underlying issue manifests as a lack of bounds checking or proper error handling during the parsing of tile headers and associated metadata within .dds files. When the software encounters malformed tile size specifications, incorrect data offsets, or invalid tile count values, it fails to gracefully handle these conditions and instead terminates execution or enters an infinite loop. This behavior directly correlates with CWE-129, which addresses insufficient input validation, and CWE-691, which covers insufficient control of a resource through a long duration. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway involves supplying a maliciously constructed .dds file that contains crafted tile parameters designed to trigger memory corruption or resource exhaustion conditions within the OpenImageIO processing pipeline.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-41999 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the availability of image processing services in environments where OpenImageIO is deployed. Systems utilizing this library for image conversion, rendering, or content processing may experience complete service unavailability when processing malicious inputs, particularly in automated workflows or web applications that accept user-uploaded images. The vulnerability affects both desktop and server deployments where OpenImageIO is integrated, creating risks for content management systems, digital asset management platforms, and any application that relies on robust image file handling capabilities. In enterprise environments, this could lead to cascading failures where image processing services become unavailable, impacting downstream applications that depend on successful image conversion or rendering operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected OpenImageIO versions to the latest stable releases that contain the necessary input validation improvements. Organizations should implement defensive measures including file format validation, size limits on uploaded images, and sandboxed processing environments to prevent exploitation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004, which addresses network denial of service, and T1566.002, which covers spearphishing with social engineering. Security teams should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious .dds file patterns and monitor for abnormal processing behavior. Additionally, input sanitization procedures should be strengthened to validate tile parameters before processing, ensuring that tile dimensions, counts, and offsets fall within expected ranges. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for this specific flaw in all deployed versions of OpenImageIO to prevent potential exploitation by threat actors seeking to disrupt image processing services.