CVE-2019-17533
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2019-17533 is a heap-based buffer over-read vulnerability in MATIO library versions before 1.5.18. It allows attackers to read uninitialized memory contents, potentially leading to information disclosure or application crashes. This affects any software using the vulnerable MATIO library for MATLAB file parsing.
💻 Affected Systems
- MATIO library
- Software using MATIO library for MATLAB file support
📦 What is this software?
Matio by Matio Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Information disclosure of sensitive memory contents, potential remote code execution through memory corruption chaining, or denial of service through application crashes.
Likely Case
Application crashes or denial of service when processing malicious MAT files, with possible information leakage of adjacent memory contents.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and memory protections; crashes contained within affected process.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting a malicious MAT file; public proof-of-concept exists in OSS-Fuzz reports.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: MATIO 1.5.18 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/tbeu/matio/commit/651a8e28099edb5fbb9e4e1d4d3238848f446c9a
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update MATIO to version 1.5.18 or later. 2. Rebuild any applications using MATIO. 3. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation
allImplement strict validation of MAT files before processing
Memory protection
linuxEnable ASLR and other memory protection mechanisms
sysctl -w kernel.randomize_va_space=2
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file upload filtering to block MAT files from untrusted sources
- Isolate MAT file processing to dedicated containers or sandboxed environments
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check MATIO library version: ldd /path/to/application | grep matio, then check version in headers or shared libraryCheck Version:
pkg-config --modversion matio || strings /usr/lib/libmatio.so | grep 'MATIO_'Verify Fix Applied:
Verify MATIO version is 1.5.18 or later and test with known malicious MAT files📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing MAT files
- Memory access violation errors
- Segmentation faults in MATIO-related processes
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected MAT file uploads to web applications
- MAT file transfers to systems not expecting them
SIEM Query:
process_name:matio AND (event_type:crash OR error_message:"segmentation fault")🔗 References
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=16856
- https://github.com/tbeu/matio/commit/651a8e28099edb5fbb9e4e1d4d3238848f446c9a
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00037.html
- https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=16856
- https://github.com/tbeu/matio/commit/651a8e28099edb5fbb9e4e1d4d3238848f446c9a
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/06/msg00037.html
