CVE-2019-17251
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2019-17251 is a memory corruption vulnerability in IrfanView's plugin handling that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code. This affects users who open maliciously crafted image files with vulnerable versions of IrfanView. The vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise if exploited successfully.
💻 Affected Systems
- IrfanView
📦 What is this software?
Irfanview by Irfanview
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with SYSTEM/administrator privileges leading to full system compromise, data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution when user opens a malicious image file, potentially leading to malware infection or data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
Application crash (denial of service) if exploit fails or memory protections prevent code execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires user to open a malicious image file. Public research and proof-of-concept code exists in GitHub repositories.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: IrfanView 4.54 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.irfanview.com/main_history.htm
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Download latest IrfanView from official website 2. Run installer 3. Follow installation prompts 4. Replace existing installation
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable plugin loading
windowsPrevent IrfanView from loading potentially malicious plugins
Not applicable - configuration change in IrfanView settings
File type association removal
windowsRemove IrfanView as default handler for image files
Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Default Programs > Remove IrfanView associations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent IrfanView execution
- Use alternative image viewing software and remove IrfanView from systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IrfanView version via Help > About. If version is 4.53 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
irfanview.exe /?Verify Fix Applied:
Verify IrfanView version is 4.54 or later via Help > About menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes of IrfanView with memory access violations
- Unusual process creation from IrfanView
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of suspicious image files followed by IrfanView execution
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where Image contains 'i_view' AND Parent Process contains 'explorer'