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CVE-2024-5171: Critical Vulnerability in AOMedia libaom

A critical integer overflow vulnerability in AOMedia's libaom could lead to heap buffer overflow, posing significant risk for organizations. Immediate remediation is necessary to mitigate potential exploitation.

CRITICALCVSS 10 · Published June 5, 2024

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This vulnerability allows an integer overflow in the internal function img_alloc_helper of AOMedia's libaom. This issue arises when the function is accessed through three specific callers: aom_img_alloc(), aom_img_wrap(), or aom_img_alloc_with_border(). When these functions are called with large values for parameters such as d_w, d_h, or align, the calculations for buffer sizes and offsets may overflow, leading to invalid fields in the returned aom_image_t structure. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 10, indicating its critical severity and the potential for substantial impact on affected systems.

Risk to organizations includes the possibility of heap buffer overflow, which could be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial-of-service conditions. As this vulnerability can be exploited over a network (attack vector), it poses a significant risk, especially for systems that process image data without proper validation of parameters. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately.

Currently, there are no known exploits or proof-of-concept (PoC) available for this vulnerability. However, the critical nature of the CVE means that organizations should remain vigilant and apply the necessary updates as soon as they are available.

Given the severity and potential impact of CVE-2024-5171, it is imperative for organizations utilizing libaom to monitor for updates and apply patches in a timely manner to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2024-5171 is classified as a critical integer overflow vulnerability affecting the AOMedia libaom library. The vulnerability is primarily attributed to improper handling of input parameters in the img_alloc_helper function, which leads to calculations that can exceed the buffer limits. The CVSS score of 10 indicates a critical severity level, highlighting the urgency for remediation.

The vulnerability was published on June 5, 2024, and it impacts all versions of libaom up to and including 3.9.0. The Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for this vulnerability are CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound).

Technical Analysis

The root cause of CVE-2024-5171 stems from improper validation of input parameters in the libaom functions dedicated to image processing. Specifically, when users provide excessively large values for parameters such as d_w, d_h, or align, the function img_alloc_helper performs calculations that can lead to integer overflows. This creates a scenario where the allocated memory may not correspond to the intended size, thereby affecting the integrity of the aom_image_t structure.

The attack vector is categorized as network-based, meaning an attacker can exploit the vulnerability remotely without requiring physical access to the system. The attack complexity is rated as low, as it does not necessitate advanced skills or extensive resources. Additionally, no privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability, and user interaction is not necessary.

The impacts of this vulnerability are significant, with potential high effects on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. A successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, alterations of existing files, or service disruptions.

Risk & Impact Analysis

Organizations should assess the risk associated with CVE-2024-5171 by evaluating their usage of the libaom library and the potential for exposure to this vulnerability. Given the critical CVSS score of 10, the urgency to address this issue is paramount. The blast radius could be extensive, particularly in environments where the library is widely deployed or where image processing is a core function.

The importance of this vulnerability cannot be overstated. Organizations using libaom must prioritize remediation efforts to prevent potential exploitation. This includes immediate actions to patch affected systems and review security protocols surrounding image processing functionalities.

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the exploitability assessment, which indicates a critical nature without existing public exploits. Organizations should maintain a proactive stance in their vulnerability management programs to adapt to evolving threats.

Exploitation Status

Signal

Status

Known Exploit

No

Public PoC

No

Actively Exploited

No

Ransomware Use

No

Affected Versions

The vulnerable versions of libaom range from 1.0.0 to 3.9.0. Organizations using these versions should take immediate action to update to the latest patched versions as they become available.

Mitigation & Remediation

Organizations should prioritize the application of patches for CVE-2024-5171. As a critical vulnerability, the urgency for remediation is high. When a patch is unavailable, organizations should consider implementing workarounds such as limiting the size of input parameters to the affected libaom functions. Additionally, configuration hardening measures should be applied to reduce exposure to potential exploitation.

For comprehensive security, organizations may also engage in penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that security measures are adequate.

Detection Guidance

Monitoring for anomalies in applications using libaom can help in early detection of potential exploitation attempts. Key indicators to observe include unexpected application crashes, unusual memory consumption, and erratic behavior when processing image files. Logging mechanisms should be enhanced to capture detailed information about function calls to aom_img_alloc(), aom_img_wrap(), and aom_img_alloc_with_border().

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

CVE-2024-5171 represents a critical vulnerability that highlights the importance of input validation in software development. The integer overflow issue could serve as a reminder for security teams to implement strict bounds checking and validation for all input parameters in image processing functions. This vulnerability is indicative of potential weaknesses in similar libraries and applications.

Security teams should focus on enhancing their vulnerability management programs to adapt to and mitigate risks associated with such vulnerabilities. Lessons learned from CVE-2024-5171 can inform development practices and lead to the adoption of more secure coding standards.

To further bolster defenses, organizations may consider leveraging application security assessments to identify and remediate vulnerabilities proactively.

By staying informed and proactive, organizations can effectively manage risks associated with vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-5171.

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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