CVE-2022-32608 - JPEG Use-After-Free Vulnerability Leading to Local Privilege Escalation

A recent vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-32608, has been discovered in the JPEG file format. This vulnerability is a result of a possible use-after-free condition due to a race condition. Successful exploitation of CVE-2022-32608 could lead to local privilege escalation, with system execution privileges required. Additionally, no user interaction is needed to exploit this vulnerability. In this post, we will discuss the details of CVE-2022-32608, including how it occurs and how to mitigate it.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates a simplified version of the vulnerable function, as identified in the JPEG library:

int decode_jpeg(...) {
    ...

    struct jpeg_data *jpeg_data = malloc(sizeof(struct jpeg_header));
    if (jpeg_data == NULL) {
        // Error handling
        return -1;
    }

    // Read and process JPEG data
    int result = process_header(jpeg_data);
    if (result != ) {
        // Free memory before returning
        free(jpeg_data);
    }

    // Other processing
    ...

    // Vulnerable use-after-free
    result = process_data(jpeg_data);

    return ;
}

In the code above, the struct jpeg_data object is allocated with malloc, and then it is processed and eventually freed. However, later in the function, process_data is called with the already freed jpeg_data, resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability.

Exploit Details

The use-after-free vulnerability, CVE-2022-32608, occurs due to a race condition, allowing an attacker to execute malicious code with system execution privileges. This race condition can be exploited to gain local escalation of privilege, even without user interaction.

For example, if two threads are processing JPEG files simultaneously, the second thread can potentially access and modify the freed jpeg_data object before the process_data function is called in the first thread. This could result in unintended behavior, such as the execution of arbitrary code supplied by the attacker, leading to privilege escalation.

For more information on CVE-2022-32608, you can refer to the following resources

1. CVE-2022-32608
2. ALPS07388753 - Patch ID
3. ALPS07388753 - Issue ID

Mitigation

To address this vulnerability, a patch has been issued with Patch ID ALPS07388753. It is recommended to apply the patch as soon as possible to prevent exploitation of the use-after-free vulnerability. It is crucial to keep your software updated with the latest security patches to minimize risk and ensure the best possible protection.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-32608 is a serious vulnerability in the JPEG file format that can lead to local privilege escalation without user interaction. By understanding how this vulnerability occurs, developers can better mitigate potential risks. Be sure to keep your systems up-to-date and apply any necessary security patches to protect against this type of vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 11/08/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/10/2022 13:53:00 UTC