CVE-2024-28580 Overview
CVE-2024-28580 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in FreeImage version 3.19.0 [r1909], an open source image loading and processing library. The flaw resides in the ReadData() function invoked when parsing images in the Sun Raster (RAS) format. A local attacker can supply a crafted RAS file that overruns a stack buffer, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the process linking FreeImage. The weakness is classified under [CWE-121] Stack-based Buffer Overflow.
Critical Impact
Local attackers can execute arbitrary code with full impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability by delivering a malformed RAS image to any application that uses FreeImage 3.19.0 for decoding.
Affected Products
- FreeImage 3.19.0 [r1909]
- Applications statically or dynamically linking the affected FreeImage build
- Downstream tools that use FreeImage for RAS format decoding
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-03-20 - CVE-2024-28580 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-28580
Vulnerability Analysis
FreeImage is a widely deployed C/C++ library that provides decoders for many image formats, including the Sun Raster (RAS) format. The vulnerability occurs inside the RAS plugin's ReadData() routine, which reads pixel data from the input file into a fixed-size buffer without properly validating the size derived from attacker-controlled header fields. When the declared image dimensions or bit depth exceed the destination buffer capacity, the read operation writes past the buffer boundary. The result is memory corruption on the stack that an attacker can steer toward arbitrary code execution. Because FreeImage is embedded in many host applications, the same defect surfaces in any process that opens an untrusted RAS file.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing bounds validation on width, height, and depth fields parsed from the RAS header before ReadData() populates the pixel buffer. The function trusts header-supplied sizes and copies file content into a stack-allocated region sized for expected inputs. Attacker-controlled dimensions cause the copy to write beyond the buffer, corrupting adjacent stack data such as saved return addresses and frame pointers.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local delivery of a malicious RAS file to an application built against FreeImage 3.19.0. Typical vectors include convincing a user to open a crafted image in a viewer, editor, or thumbnailing tool that uses the library. No authentication or user interaction beyond opening the file is required by the library itself. Successful exploitation yields arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the calling process.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code was linked in the CVE record. Technical detail is provided in the GitHub Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-28580
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes or segmentation faults in processes loading .ras or Sun Raster files through FreeImage
- Child processes spawned by image viewers, converters, or thumbnailers immediately after opening a RAS file
- Presence of FreeImage 3.19.0 binaries (FreeImage.dll, libfreeimage.so.3.19.0) on production systems
Detection Strategies
- Inventory endpoints and build pipelines for applications that ship or link FreeImage 3.19.0 [r1909]
- Enable crash reporting and core dump collection for image-processing services to catch overflow attempts
- Hunt for anomalous file opens of RAS files followed by process instability or unexpected memory allocations
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on new .ras files arriving from untrusted sources such as email attachments, uploads, or shared drives
- Monitor image-processing services for abnormal exit codes, restart loops, or exploit-mitigation telemetry
- Correlate FreeImage library loads with subsequent shell, scripting, or network egress activity
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-28580
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all software that bundles or links FreeImage 3.19.0 and prioritize remediation on systems exposed to untrusted image content
- Restrict processing of RAS files from unverified sources at the perimeter and on endpoints until patched
- Run image-parsing workloads under least-privilege accounts and enable stack protections such as -fstack-protector-strong, ASLR, and DEP
Patch Information
At the time of this writing, no vendor advisory or patched release from the FreeImage project is listed in the NVD record. Consult the GitHub Vulnerability Report for reproduction details and monitor the FreeImage project for an updated build past revision r1909. Organizations that maintain internal forks should apply strict bounds checking on RAS header dimensions before allocating or writing into the destination buffer inside ReadData().
Workarounds
- Disable or remove the RAS decoder plugin in FreeImage builds where the format is not required
- Replace FreeImage with an actively maintained image library for parsing untrusted content
- Sandbox image decoding in a low-privilege container or use OS-level mitigations such as seccomp, AppArmor, or Windows Integrity Levels
# Configuration example: locate vulnerable FreeImage binaries on Linux hosts
find / -type f \( -name 'libfreeimage*' -o -name 'FreeImage*' \) 2>/dev/null \
| xargs -I{} sh -c 'echo "---"; echo {}; strings "{}" | grep -i "FreeImage 3.19.0"'
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
