CVE-2024-25450
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-25450 is a memory allocation vulnerability in imlib2 v1.9.1's init_imlib_fonts() function that could lead to denial of service or arbitrary code execution. This affects any application using the vulnerable imlib2 library for image processing, particularly feh image viewer and Enlightenment desktop environment components. Attackers could exploit this by tricking users into opening malicious image files.
💻 Affected Systems
- imlib2
- feh
- Enlightenment desktop environment
- Any application using imlib2 library
📦 What is this software?
Imlib2 by Enlightenment
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the application using imlib2, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) when processing specially crafted image files.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if applications run with minimal privileges and input validation is enforced.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting malicious image files that trigger the memory allocation issue. No public exploit code has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: imlib2 v1.9.2 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://git.enlightenment.org/old/legacy-imlib2/issues/20
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current imlib2 version: 'imlib2-config --version' 2. Update via package manager: 'sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade imlib2' (Debian/Ubuntu) or 'sudo yum update imlib2' (RHEL/CentOS) 3. Restart affected applications or reboot system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable font loading in imlib2
linuxPrevent imlib2 from loading fonts which may mitigate the vulnerability in init_imlib_fonts()
export IMLIB2_NO_FONTS=1
Run applications with reduced privileges
linuxRun affected applications with minimal permissions using sandboxing or privilege separation
firejail --noprofile application_name
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict image file processing to trusted sources only
- Implement application allowlisting to prevent execution of vulnerable imlib2-dependent applications
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check imlib2 version: 'imlib2-config --version' or 'dpkg -l | grep imlib2' or 'rpm -q imlib2'. If version is 1.9.1, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
imlib2-config --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify imlib2 version is 1.9.2 or later using same commands. Test with known safe image files to ensure functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with segmentation faults when processing image files
- Memory allocation errors in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual image file uploads to web applications
- Multiple failed image processing attempts
SIEM Query:
process.name="feh" AND event.action="crash" OR process.name contains "imlib2" AND event.action="segmentation fault"