CVE-2019-15141 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

ImageMagick version 7.0.8-43 Q16 is vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack due to a heap-based buffer over-read in the WriteTIFFImage function.

Understanding CVE-2019-15141

This CVE involves a vulnerability in ImageMagick that can be exploited to crash the application using a specially crafted TIFF image file.

What is CVE-2019-15141?

The vulnerability in the WriteTIFFImage function of ImageMagick version 7.0.8-43 Q16 can lead to a denial-of-service attack by causing the application to crash due to a heap-based buffer over-read. The issue is related to specific functions within the LibTIFF library.

The Impact of CVE-2019-15141

This vulnerability allows attackers to exploit a specially crafted TIFF image file to crash the application, potentially leading to a denial-of-service condition.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-15141

ImageMagick version 7.0.8-43 Q16 is affected by the following:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is triggered by the WriteTIFFImage function in coders/tiff.c, leading to a denial-of-service condition due to a heap-based buffer over-read.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: ImageMagick
Vendor: N/A
Version: 7.0.8-43 Q16

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by using a specially crafted TIFF image file to trigger the heap-based buffer over-read.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-15141, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update ImageMagick to a patched version.
Avoid opening untrusted TIFF image files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions.
Implement proper input validation to prevent malformed image files from causing issues.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that ImageMagick is regularly updated to the latest secure version to mitigate the risk of exploitation.