CVE-2022-43151 in timg
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2022
timg v1.4.4 was discovered to contain a memory leak via the function timg::QueryBackgroundColor() at /timg/src/term-query.cc.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-43151 resides within the timg image viewer software version 1.4.4, specifically within the timg::QueryBackgroundColor() function located in the /timg/src/term-query.cc source file. This memory leak represents a critical flaw that can lead to resource exhaustion and system instability. The issue manifests when the application attempts to query background color information from terminal environments, creating a scenario where allocated memory is not properly released back to the system. Such memory management failures are particularly concerning in long-running applications or those processing multiple image files sequentially, as they can progressively consume available system resources until the application becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which categorizes memory leaks as a common weakness in software systems. The flaw occurs during the terminal query process when timg attempts to determine the appropriate background color for rendering images in terminal environments. The function fails to properly deallocate memory that was allocated during the color query operation, resulting in a gradual accumulation of unused memory segments that cannot be reclaimed by the operating system. This behavior represents a classic resource management issue where the application's memory footprint grows continuously without proper cleanup, ultimately leading to performance degradation and potential system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems running timg in production environments or those processing large volumes of images. The memory leak can cause applications to consume increasing amounts of RAM over time, potentially leading to system slowdowns, application crashes, or even complete system hangs if the memory exhaustion becomes severe enough. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability by repeatedly triggering the color query functionality, accelerating the memory consumption process to cause denial of service conditions. The impact is particularly severe in environments where timg is used as part of automated workflows or continuous integration pipelines, where the memory leak could gradually consume system resources and disrupt normal operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-43151 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected timg version to address the memory leak in the QueryBackgroundColor() function. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to track memory usage patterns of timg processes and establish alerting mechanisms for unusual memory consumption trends. Additionally, implementing process restart policies or resource limits through containerization technologies can help contain the impact of memory leaks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in terminal-based applications and highlights the need for thorough testing of resource allocation and deallocation routines in software components that interface with system-level APIs. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely resolution of similar vulnerabilities in other system components, as memory leaks often represent broader architectural issues that may affect other parts of the application stack.