CVE-2019-17178 : Security Advisory and Response

A memory leak vulnerability was identified in the LodePNG library, affecting WinPR in FreeRDP and related software.

Understanding CVE-2019-17178

This CVE pertains to a memory leak issue in the HuffmanTree_makeFromFrequencies function in the lodepng.c file of the LodePNG library.

What is CVE-2019-17178?

The vulnerability in the LodePNG library up to 2019-09-28 results from a memory leak due to improper handling of realloc pointers.

The Impact of CVE-2019-17178

The vulnerability could be exploited to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code by malicious actors.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-17178

The technical aspects of the vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from using the same pointer for both the argument and return value of the realloc function.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: N/A
Vendor: N/A
Versions: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to trigger a memory leak, potentially leading to a denial of service or arbitrary code execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-17178, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the software vendor.
Monitor security advisories for updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews.
Implement secure coding practices to prevent memory leaks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all affected systems are updated with the latest patches to mitigate the vulnerability.