CVE-2018-25009
📋 TL;DR
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in libwebp's GetLE16() function allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. This affects any application that processes WebP images using vulnerable libwebp versions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for web browsers, image processing tools, and applications that handle user-uploaded images.
💻 Affected Systems
- libwebp
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Chromium-based browsers
- ImageMagick
- GIMP
- Android
- iOS
- macOS
- Linux distributions with libwebp
📦 What is this software?
Libwebp by Webmproject
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Application crashes (denial of service) or limited information disclosure from heap memory.
If Mitigated
Application crash with no data compromise if memory protections (ASLR, DEP) are effective.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof-of-concept code exists in the Chromium bug tracker. Exploitation requires crafting a malicious WebP image file.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: libwebp 1.0.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromium.googlesource.com/webm/libwebp/+/95fd65070662e01cc9170c4444f5c0859a710097
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update libwebp to version 1.0.1 or later. 2. Update all affected applications (browsers, image tools) to versions using patched libwebp. 3. Restart affected services and applications.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WebP image processing
allConfigure applications to reject or not process WebP image formats
# Application-specific configuration required
Use memory protection controls
allEnable ASLR, DEP, and other memory protection mechanisms
# System hardening measures
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation for image uploads
- Isolate image processing services in containers or sandboxes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check libwebp version: `libwebp --version` or `dpkg -l | grep libwebp` or `rpm -qa | grep libwebp`. Version should be >= 1.0.1.Check Version:
libwebp --version 2>/dev/null || dpkg -l libwebp* 2>/dev/null || rpm -q libwebp 2>/dev/nullVerify Fix Applied:
Verify libwebp version is 1.0.1 or later and test with known malicious WebP samples.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with segmentation faults
- Memory access violation errors
- Unexpected process termination
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections after image processing
- Large number of WebP image uploads
SIEM Query:
source="application.log" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "buffer overflow" OR "memory corruption") AND process="*webp*"🔗 References
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=9100
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1956917
- https://chromium.googlesource.com/webm/libwebp/+/95fd65070662e01cc9170c4444f5c0859a710097
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=9100
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1956917
- https://chromium.googlesource.com/webm/libwebp/+/95fd65070662e01cc9170c4444f5c0859a710097
