Heap Out-of-Bounds Read in Netpbm rasttopnm

Executive Summary

Netpbm through version 11.16.00 has a heap out-of-bounds read flaw in the rasttopnm tool. Attackers can exploit this by providing specially crafted Sun rasterfiles with short colormaps. When the pixel bytes in these files exceed the palette length, the program reads beyond allocated memory, leaking up to 255 adjacent heap bytes into the output or causing a crash.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, inspect systems running Netpbm versions through 11.16.00 for rasttopnm usage. Check for Sun rasterfiles with short colormaps by examining input files or running rasttopnm with crafted test files to observe heap out-of-bounds reads or crashes.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability may allow attackers to read sensitive memory contents, potentially exposing confidential data. It could also cause denial-of-service by crashing the rasttopnm program when processing malicious files. Users processing untrusted rasterfiles are at risk of information leaks or application failures.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data exposure, violating GDPR's data protection principles or HIPAA's confidentiality requirements. If exploited, it may result in data breaches that require regulatory reporting and potential fines under these standards.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update Netpbm to the latest version beyond 11.16.00. If updating is not possible, restrict access to rasttopnm or disable its use until patched. Monitor for suspicious files or crashes related to Sun rasterfile processing.

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