Learn about CVE-2023-2804, a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in libjpeg-turbo, impacting systems. Find defense strategies and mitigation steps.
This CVE-2023-2804 was published on May 25, 2023, by RedHat. It involves a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in libjpeg-turbo that can lead to application crashes if exploited.
Understanding CVE-2023-2804
This section will delve into the details of the CVE-2023-2804 vulnerability, its impact, technical description, affected systems, and mitigation strategies.
What is CVE-2023-2804?
The CVE-2023-2804 vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow issue discovered in libjpeg-turbo in the
h2v2_merged_upsample_internal()
function of the jdmrgext.c
file. When 12-bit data precision is used and the sample data type exceeds the valid sample range, an attacker can create a malicious 12-bit lossless JPEG image. If this image is decompressed by an application using merged upsampling, it can lead to segmentation faults or buffer overflows, potentially causing the application to crash.
The Impact of CVE-2023-2804
Exploiting CVE-2023-2804 could result in the crash of applications that attempt to decompress malicious 12-bit lossless JPEG images using merged upsampling. This can potentially lead to denial of service (DoS) attacks or unauthorized code execution if not mitigated.
Technical Details of CVE-2023-2804
In this section, we will explore the specific technical aspects of the CVE-2023-2804 vulnerability, including its description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability in libjpeg-turbo allows an attacker to create a specially crafted 12-bit lossless JPEG image with out-of-range 12-bit samples. When decompressed using merged upsampling, this can trigger buffer overflows or segmentation faults, leading to application crashes.
Affected Systems and Versions
The affected product in this case is libjpeg-turbo, specifically versions prior to v3.0 (beta2). Users of earlier versions are at risk of exploitation unless they update to the fixed version.
Exploitation Mechanism
To exploit CVE-2023-2804, an attacker needs to create a 12-bit lossless JPEG image with out-of-range 12-bit samples and trick an application into decompressing it using merged upsampling. This manipulation can trigger the buffer overflow or segmentation fault, compromising the application.
Mitigation and Prevention
This section will provide insights into mitigating the risks associated with CVE-2023-2804, including immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.
Immediate Steps to Take
Users and administrators are advised to update libjpeg-turbo to version 3.0 (beta2) or later to mitigate the vulnerability. Additionally, caution should be exercised when decompressing JPEG images from untrusted sources.
Long-Term Security Practices
Maintaining up-to-date software versions, implementing secure coding practices, and conducting regular security assessments can help prevent buffer overflow vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-2804.
Patching and Updates
Regularly applying patches and updates provided by software vendors is crucial to addressing known vulnerabilities. Organizations should prioritize the installation of security patches to protect their systems from potential exploits.