CVE-2023-44398 – CVE-2023-44398 is an out-of-bounds write vulner... (How to Fix)

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2023-44398 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in Exiv2 v0.28.0 that allows remote code execution when processing a malicious image file. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening crafted images with Exiv2, potentially gaining control of the affected system. Only Exiv2 version 0.28.0 is affected - earlier versions are safe.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Exiv2

Versions: Version 0.28.0 only

Operating Systems: All operating systems where Exiv2 v0.28.0 is installed

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects v0.28.0 - earlier versions are NOT vulnerable. The vulnerable function BmffImage::brotliUncompress was introduced in v0.28.0.

📦 What is this software?

Exiv2 by Exiv2

View all CVEs affecting Exiv2 →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full remote code execution with attacker gaining complete control of the system running Exiv2, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation or denial of service when users process untrusted image files, particularly in automated image processing workflows.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if Exiv2 is not used to process untrusted image files or if proper sandboxing/containerization is implemented.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Risk exists if Exiv2 is used in web applications processing user-uploaded images, but requires specific image processing functionality.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted via phishing with malicious images, but requires user interaction with Exiv2.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires crafting a malicious image file and convincing a user to process it with Exiv2. No public exploit code is known at this time.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: v0.28.1

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/security/advisories/GHSA-hrw9-ggg3-3r4r

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Check current Exiv2 version: exiv2 --version
2. If version is 0.28.0, upgrade to 0.28.1
3. For package managers: Use system package manager (apt, yum, brew, etc.) to update
4. For source builds: Download and compile from https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/releases/tag/v0.28.1

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Downgrade to v0.27.6

linux

Revert to previous stable version that doesn't contain the vulnerable code

sudo apt install exiv2=0.27.6-*
sudo yum downgrade exiv2-0.27.6

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict Exiv2 usage to trusted image sources only
Implement sandboxing/containerization for image processing workflows

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Run: exiv2 --version | grep -q '0.28.0' && echo 'VULNERABLE' || echo 'SAFE'

Check Version:

exiv2 --version

Verify Fix Applied:

Run: exiv2 --version | grep -q '0.28.1' && echo 'PATCHED' || echo 'STILL VULNERABLE'

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Crashes or abnormal exits when processing image files
Memory access violation errors in system logs

Network Indicators:

Unusual outbound connections after image processing
File downloads of suspicious image formats

SIEM Query:

process.name:"exiv2" AND (event.action:"crash" OR event.outcome:"failure")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-44398

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: November 6, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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