CVE-2021-34335 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2021-34335, a denial of service vulnerability in Exiv2 v0.27.4 and earlier due to FPE triggered by integer divide by zero. Understand the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.
A denial of service vulnerability was discovered in Exiv2 versions v0.27.4 and earlier due to a floating point exception (FPE) triggered by an integer divide by zero. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by tricking users into running Exiv2 on a crafted image file, potentially causing a denial of service.
Understanding CVE-2021-34335
Exiv2, a command-line utility and C++ library for image file metadata manipulation, is affected by a vulnerability that allows for a denial of service attack.
What is CVE-2021-34335?
CVE-2021-34335 is a vulnerability in Exiv2 versions v0.27.4 and earlier, where a floating point exception occurs due to an integer divide by zero. The issue arises when using Exiv2 to print the metadata of a specially crafted image file.
The Impact of CVE-2021-34335
The impact of this vulnerability is the potential for a denial of service attack. An attacker exploiting this issue could cause Exiv2 to crash when attempting to display interpreted metadata.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-34335
The vulnerability in Exiv2 is triggered by attempting to print the translated data of a crafted image file. It specifically affects versions v0.27.4 and prior.
Vulnerability Description
The flaw arises from an integer divide by zero, leading to a floating point exception. It can be exploited by manipulating image files to trigger the vulnerable code path.
Affected Systems and Versions
Exiv2 versions up to and including v0.27.4 are affected by this vulnerability.
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can exploit the CVE-2021-34335 vulnerability by coercing victims into running Exiv2 on a maliciously crafted image file, causing a denial of service condition.
Mitigation and Prevention
To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-34335, immediate actions and long-term security practices are recommended.
Immediate Steps to Take
Users are advised to update Exiv2 to version v0.27.5 or later to patch the vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
Implement ongoing monitoring and patch management practices to address future vulnerabilities promptly.
Patching and Updates
Regularly check for updates from Exiv2 and apply patches to ensure the security of image metadata processing.