Double Free Vulnerability in GDAL
Summary
CVE-2019-17545: GDAL through 3.0.1 has a poolDestroy double free in OGRExpatRealloc in ogr/ogr_expat.cpp when the 10MB threshold is exceeded. Affects gdal across 3 version ranges.
< 2.4.2+dfsg-2
< 77582da162d19af1073cbe56c7884b7e758b6a7a
< 148115fcc40f1651a5d15fa34c9a8c528e7147bb
Fixed in 2.4.2+dfsg-2. How to fix ↓
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Background
GDAL is an open-source library for translating and processing raster and vector geospatial data formats. It provides support for various formats and functionalities, making it a widely used tool in the geospatial community. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in GDAL versions up to 3.0.1 that could lead to a double free memory corruption issue.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2019-17545, occurs in the OGRExpatRealloc function in ogr/ogr_expat.cpp when the 10MB threshold is exceeded. This can result in a poolDestroy double free, leading to potential exploitation by an attacker. The impact of this vulnerability can range from denial of service to potential remote code execution.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
2.4.2+dfsg-2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade gdalTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
If updating GDAL is not immediately feasible, a possible workaround is to limit the memory usage to avoid triggering the double free vulnerability. This can be achieved by reducing the memory threshold to a value below 10MB. However, this workaround may impact the performance and functionality of GDAL.
Conclusion
The double free vulnerability in GDAL can have serious consequences, including denial of service and potential remote code execution. It is crucial to update GDAL to the recommended version or apply the provided workaround to mitigate the risk. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for gdal →
FAQ
GDAL (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library) is an open-source library for translating and processing raster and vector geospatial data formats.
The vulnerability can lead to a double free memory corruption issue, potentially resulting in denial of service or remote code execution.
GDAL versions up to 3.0.1 are affected by this vulnerability.
To fix this vulnerability, update GDAL to version 2.4.2+dfsg-2 or later.
A possible workaround is to limit the memory usage to avoid triggering the vulnerability, but this may impact GDAL's performance and functionality.
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