CVE-2018-17000: Null Pointer Dereference

Published Sep 13, 2018
·
Updated

A NULL pointer dereference in the function TIFFmemcmp at tifunix.c (called from TIFFWriteDirectoryTagTransferfunction) in LibTIFF 4.0.9 allows an attacker to cause a denial-of-service through a crafted tiff file. This vulnerability can be triggered by the executable tiffcp.

Other sources

LibTIFF is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by a NULL pointer dereference in the TIFFmemcmp function in tifunix.c. By persuading a victim to open a specially-crafted file, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service condition.

IBM

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
debian/tiff<=4.0.9-6, <=4.0.8-2
4.0.8-2+deb9u54.0.10-4
IBM Cognos Analytics<=12.0.0-12.0.3
IBM Cognos Analytics<=11.2.0-11.2.4 FP4
LibTIFF libtiff=4.0.9
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
debian/tiff
4.2.0-1+deb11u54.2.0-1+deb11u84.5.0-6+deb12u44.7.0-3+deb13u24.7.0-3+deb13u34.7.2-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/tiff to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.0.8-2+deb9u5Fixed in 4.0.10-4
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/tiff to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 4.2.0-1+deb11u5Fixed in 4.2.0-1+deb11u8Fixed in 4.5.0-6+deb12u4Fixed in 4.7.0-3+deb13u2Fixed in 4.7.0-3+deb13u3Fixed in 4.7.2-1
  3. Compensating control

    Do not open or process untrusted or specially-crafted TIFF files; avoid running LibTIFF's tiffcp on attacker-supplied files to prevent triggering the NULL pointer dereference denial-of-service.

  4. Operational

    If tiffcp (from LibTIFF) was used to process untrusted TIFF files, re-check and restart the processing workflow after blocking access to the malicious inputs.

Event History

Sep 13, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:29 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:54 PM
Description
Feb 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·03:57 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·11:29 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-17000?

CVE-2018-17000 is classified as a denial-of-service vulnerability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2018-17000?

To fix CVE-2018-17000, upgrade to LibTIFF version 4.0.10 or any higher version available.

3

What does CVE-2018-17000 affect?

CVE-2018-17000 affects LibTIFF versions up to 4.0.9, specifically impacting TIFF file processing.

4

Can CVE-2018-17000 be exploited remotely?

Yes, CVE-2018-17000 can be exploited remotely through crafted TIFF files.

5

What software is vulnerable to CVE-2018-17000?

LibTIFF versions 4.0.9 and lower, as well as certain versions of IBM Cognos Analytics, are vulnerable to CVE-2018-17000.

Contact

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