CVE-2024-9258
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious SID files in IrfanView. Attackers can gain full control of the affected system through uninitialized pointer access during SID file parsing. All IrfanView users who open untrusted SID files are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- IrfanView
📦 What is this software?
Irfanview by Irfanview
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the IrfanView user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Malware installation or data exfiltration when users open malicious SID files from phishing emails or compromised websites.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if users have restricted privileges, application sandboxing, or don't open untrusted SID files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction but is straightforward once malicious SID file is opened. ZDI has confirmed the vulnerability and exploitation details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: IrfanView 4.70 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. Verify version is 4.70 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable SID file association
windowsRemove IrfanView as default handler for SID files to prevent automatic exploitation
Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Associations > Find .sid > Change to different program or none
User training and file restrictions
allEducate users not to open SID files from untrusted sources and implement file extension filtering
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Run IrfanView with restricted user privileges (not as administrator)
- Implement application whitelisting to block execution of malicious payloads
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open IrfanView > Help > About IrfanView, check if version is below 4.70Check Version:
irfanview.exe /?Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm IrfanView version is 4.70 or higher in About dialog📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- IrfanView crash logs with SID file access
- Windows Application logs showing IrfanView process termination
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of SID files from suspicious sources
- Outbound connections from IrfanView process to unknown IPs
SIEM Query:
process_name:"i_view32.exe" OR process_name:"i_view64.exe" AND (file_extension:".sid" OR network_connection_initiated:true)