CVE-2024-25447 in imlib2
Summary
by MITRE • 02/09/2024
An issue in the imlib_load_image_with_error_return function of imlib2 v1.9.1 allows attackers to cause a heap buffer overflow via parsing a crafted image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-25447 resides within the imlib2 library version 1.9.1, specifically within the imlib_load_image_with_error_return function. This heap buffer overflow represents a critical security flaw that can be exploited by malicious actors through the careful crafting of image files. The imlib2 library serves as a fundamental component for image processing in numerous applications and systems, making this vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective. The flaw manifests when the library attempts to parse specially constructed image data, leading to memory corruption that can potentially be leveraged for arbitrary code execution or system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the image parsing routine. When the imlib_load_image_with_error_return function processes malformed image data, it fails to properly bounds-check array accesses or validate the size of allocated memory buffers. This oversight allows attackers to craft image files that trigger memory overflows during the parsing phase, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations. The heap-based nature of the overflow indicates that the vulnerability occurs within dynamically allocated memory regions, which can be particularly dangerous as it may lead to more sophisticated exploitation techniques including heap spraying or memory corruption that affects program control flow.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across numerous systems and applications that rely on imlib2 for image handling capabilities. Given that imlib2 is widely used in desktop environments, image viewers, web browsers, and various multimedia applications, a successful exploitation could affect a broad user base. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution makes it particularly dangerous in environments where users might encounter malicious images through web browsing, email attachments, or file transfers. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application, potentially leading to complete system compromise or data exfiltration.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate mitigation efforts for CVE-2024-25447 by updating to patched versions of imlib2 or applying available security patches. Organizations should also implement defensive measures such as image file validation, sandboxing of image processing operations, and network-based filtering of suspicious image content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running vulnerable versions of imlib2, while application developers should review their image processing code to ensure proper input validation and error handling practices are implemented to prevent similar issues in custom code implementations.