CVE-2025-53510 in Image Decoding Library
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2025
A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the PSD Image Decoding functionality of the SAIL Image Decoding Library v0.9.8. When loading a specially crafted .psd file, an integer overflow can be made to occur when calculating the stride for decoding. Afterwards, this will cause a heap-based buffer to overflow when decoding the image which can lead to remote code execution. An attacker will need to convince the library to read a file to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-53510 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the SAIL Image Decoding Library version 0.9.8, specifically affecting the PSD image format decoding component. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and arithmetic handling during the image processing pipeline, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the library's image parsing functionality. The vulnerability manifests when the library attempts to process specially crafted .psd files that contain malformed metadata or dimension parameters, leading to a cascade of computational errors that ultimately compromise system integrity.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in an integer overflow condition that occurs during stride calculation for PSD image decoding operations. When the library processes image dimensions from the malicious .psd file, the calculated stride value exceeds the maximum representable integer value for the target architecture, causing the overflow to wrap around to a much smaller value. This miscalculated stride value then propagates through the decoding process, resulting in improper memory allocation and subsequent heap-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability follows the CWE-190 pattern of integer overflow, where arithmetic operations produce results that exceed the maximum value representable by the data type, creating exploitable conditions in memory management routines.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, presenting a significant risk for remote code execution attacks. When the heap-based buffer overflow occurs during image decoding, attackers can potentially overwrite critical memory structures, function pointers, or return addresses within the application's execution context. This allows for arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the process running the SAIL library, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince a target application using the SAIL library to process a malicious .psd file, but once triggered, the vulnerability can be exploited across various platforms where the library is implemented, including web applications, desktop software, and mobile applications that utilize the affected library.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a prime example of how image parsing libraries can become attack vectors in modern software ecosystems, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation of remote services and T1059 for command execution through compromised applications. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond the initial file processing, making it particularly dangerous in automated threat scenarios. Organizations using the SAIL library in their applications should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, file format sanitization, and application sandboxing to prevent exploitation. Additionally, the library developers should prioritize patching this vulnerability through proper integer overflow checks and implementing robust bounds checking mechanisms for all image processing calculations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments for third-party libraries and the need for comprehensive memory safety practices in image processing software, particularly in environments where untrusted file formats are processed.