CVE-2019-20446 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2019-20446 is a vulnerability found in GNOME librsvg prior to version 2.46.2, where a malicious SVG file with nested patterns can cause a denial of service due to an exponential increase in rendered objects.

Understanding CVE-2019-20446

What is CVE-2019-20446?

This CVE refers to a specific issue in GNOME librsvg that allows a crafted SVG file to trigger a denial of service attack by exploiting nested patterns.

The Impact of CVE-2019-20446

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial of service by overwhelming the system with rendered objects.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-20446

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in xml.rs in GNOME librsvg allows an attacker to create a malicious SVG file with nested patterns, leading to a denial of service condition.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: n/a
Product: n/a
Versions: All versions prior to 2.46.2 are affected.

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker constructs pattern elements in a way that causes the number of rendered objects to exponentially increase, overwhelming the system.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update GNOME librsvg to version 2.46.2 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Avoid opening SVG files from untrusted or unknown sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions.
Implement proper input validation and sanitization techniques to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by GNOME librsvg promptly to address the CVE-2019-20446 vulnerability.