CVE-2017-16546 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

ImageMagick 7.0.7-9 allows remote attackers to launch denial of service attacks due to insufficient verification of the colormap index in a WPG palette.

Understanding CVE-2017-16546

The vulnerability in ImageMagick 7.0.7-9 can lead to denial of service attacks and other potential impacts when processing corrupted WPG files.

What is CVE-2017-16546?

The vulnerability arises from inadequate validation of the colormap index in a WPG palette within the ReadWPGImage function of ImageMagick 7.0.7-9.

The Impact of CVE-2017-16546

Attackers can trigger denial of service attacks by exploiting uninitialized data or incorrect memory allocation.
Malicious actors can potentially cause other adverse effects by using a corrupted WPG file.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-16546

ImageMagick 7.0.7-9 is susceptible to a denial of service vulnerability due to improper colormap index validation in WPG palettes.

Vulnerability Description

The ReadWPGImage function in coders/wpg.c fails to adequately validate the colormap index, enabling remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks or potentially trigger other impacts through malformed WPG files.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions: ImageMagick 7.0.7-9

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the colormap index validation flaw in WPG palettes, leading to denial of service attacks or other potential consequences.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-16546, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update ImageMagick to a non-vulnerable version.
Avoid opening or processing untrusted WPG files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for ImageMagick security advisories.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious WPG files.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by ImageMagick to fix the colormap index validation issue.