CVE-2024-28569
📋 TL;DR
A buffer overflow vulnerability in FreeImage v3.19.0 allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting the Imf_2_2::Xdr::read() function when processing EXR format images. This affects any application using the vulnerable FreeImage library to handle EXR files. Attackers could gain full control of affected systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- FreeImage
📦 What is this software?
Freeimage by Freeimage Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining root/admin privileges and persistent access.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to data theft, lateral movement, or ransomware deployment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if application runs with minimal privileges and proper sandboxing/isolation.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access or ability to trigger EXR file processing. Public PoC available in GitHub repository.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check FreeImage GitHub for latest version > 3.19.0
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/Ruanxingzhi/vul-report/tree/master/freeimage-r1909
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current FreeImage version. 2. Update to latest FreeImage version from official repository. 3. Recompile applications using FreeImage. 4. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable EXR support
allDisable EXR format processing in FreeImage or applications using it
Recompile FreeImage with EXR support disabled via build configuration
Application sandboxing
linuxRun applications using FreeImage with minimal privileges and sandboxing
Use SELinux/AppArmor policies to restrict file access and system calls
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file upload validation to block EXR files
- Run vulnerable applications in isolated containers with no network access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if FreeImage version is 3.19.0 and application processes EXR filesCheck Version:
ldd /path/to/application | grep -i freeimage && check library versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify FreeImage version is updated and EXR file processing no longer triggers crashes📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing EXR files
- Unexpected child process creation from image processing services
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from image processing services
SIEM Query:
Process: (freeimage OR application_name) AND Event: (Crash OR AccessViolation) AND FileExtension: exr