CVE-2019-12212 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

FreeImage 3.18.0 is susceptible to a denial of service attack due to improper processing of a special JXR file, leading to stack exhaustion.

Understanding CVE-2019-12212

The vulnerability in FreeImage 3.18.0 allows for a remote denial of service attack by exploiting a flaw in processing JXR files.

What is CVE-2019-12212?

When FreeImage 3.18.0 attempts to read a specific JXR file, it triggers repeated calls to the StreamCalcIFDSize function in JXRMeta.c, causing stack exhaustion and enabling a remote denial of service attack.

The Impact of CVE-2019-12212

The vulnerability allows an attacker to craft a malicious file that, when processed by FreeImage 3.18.0, exhausts the stack, leading to a denial of service condition.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-12212

FreeImage 3.18.0 vulnerability details and affected systems.

Vulnerability Description

Improper processing of a special JXR file in FreeImage 3.18.0 triggers repeated execution of the StreamCalcIFDSize function in JXRMeta.c, resulting in stack exhaustion.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: FreeImage 3.18.0
Vendor: N/A
Version: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers send a specially crafted JXR file to exploit the vulnerability, causing the stack to exhaust and leading to a denial of service attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2019-12212 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Avoid opening or processing untrusted JXR files using FreeImage 3.18.0.
Implement file type validation mechanisms to block malicious files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update FreeImage to the latest version to patch known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and audits to identify and address potential weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates provided by FreeImage to address the vulnerability and enhance system security.