ImageMagick before 7.1.2-31 and before 6.9.13-56 contains a policy bypass in the PCD (and, per the upstream advisory, CUBE and HALD) coder: when a specific command line option is supplied, the decoder does not check a configured resource limit, which can result in extra memory allocation. A local user able to pass command line options to ImageMagick can therefore exceed the intended memory policy limit, causing a limited availability impact. The issue is fixed in 7.1.2-31 and 6.9.13-56.
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | esm-apps/focal | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | esm-apps/jammy | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | esm-apps/noble | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | esm-apps/resolute | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | jammy | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | noble | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | resolute | * |
| Imagemagick | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Potential Mitigations
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html