Source: cve@mitre.org
JasPer 2.0.14 has a memory leak in base/jas_malloc.c in libjasper.a when "--output-format jp2" is used.
CVE-2018-20622 exposes a critical memory leak vulnerability in the JasPer library, potentially leading to denial-of-service (DoS) or, in certain scenarios, information disclosure. Exploitation involves crafting a malicious JP2 image, triggering the memory leak during processing, and exhausting system resources. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to systems utilizing JasPer for image handling.
Step 1: Input Preparation: An attacker crafts a malicious JP2 image file. This image is specifically designed to trigger the memory leak within the JasPer library when processed.
Step 2: Triggering the Vulnerability: The crafted JP2 image is fed to an application or system that utilizes the JasPer library and attempts to convert the image, specifically using the --output-format jp2 option.
Step 3: Memory Leak Activation: The JasPer library, while processing the malicious image, encounters a condition that causes it to allocate memory but fails to free it properly. This leads to a memory leak.
Step 4: Resource Exhaustion: Repeated processing of the malicious image or processing multiple crafted images causes the memory leak to accumulate. This gradually consumes the system's available memory.
Step 5: Denial of Service (DoS): Eventually, the system runs out of memory, leading to a denial-of-service condition. The application using the library crashes, or the entire system becomes unresponsive.
The vulnerability lies within the jas_malloc.c file of the JasPer library (version 2.0.14) when processing JP2 images using the --output-format jp2 option. The root cause is a memory leak. The library fails to properly free allocated memory under specific conditions during the image conversion process. This leads to a gradual consumption of system memory. Repeated exploitation can exhaust available memory, leading to a denial-of-service condition. While the description doesn't explicitly mention other vulnerabilities, memory leaks can sometimes be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve more complex attacks, such as information disclosure, by carefully crafting the input image and observing the memory allocation patterns.
There is no specific APT attribution known for this vulnerability. However, any threat actor seeking to disrupt services or cause denial-of-service could potentially exploit this. This vulnerability is not listed on the CISA KEV list.
Monitor system memory usage for unusual spikes or gradual increases, especially during image processing operations.
Analyze system logs for errors related to memory allocation or crashes within applications using the JasPer library.
Implement network intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify suspicious network traffic patterns associated with image processing or file uploads.
Monitor for excessive CPU usage during image processing, which could indicate a resource exhaustion attack.
Examine file system activity for the creation of large temporary files during image conversion, which might be a symptom of memory exhaustion.
Upgrade to a patched version of the JasPer library (version 2.0.15 or later) that addresses the memory leak.
Implement input validation to restrict the types and sizes of images that can be processed. This can help prevent the processing of malicious JP2 images.
Limit the resources available to applications that use the JasPer library. This can mitigate the impact of a memory leak.
Monitor system resources and implement alerts for unusual memory usage patterns.
Apply security patches promptly as they become available.
Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) to filter malicious image uploads.