CVE-2024-9258: IrfanView SID File Parsing RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-9258 is a remote code execution flaw in IrfanView that exploits uninitialized pointer handling during SID file parsing. Attackers can execute arbitrary code when users open malicious files. This article covers technical details, affected versions, impact assessment, and mitigation strategies.

CVE-2024-9258 Overview

CVE-2024-9258 is a remote code execution vulnerability in IrfanView, a widely used Windows image viewer. The flaw resides in the parser for SID files and stems from the use of an uninitialized pointer before it is properly set. An attacker who convinces a user to open a crafted SID file, or to visit a page that delivers one, can execute arbitrary code in the context of the IrfanView process. The Zero Day Initiative tracked this issue as ZDI-CAN-23276 and published it as advisory ZDI-24-1370.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user, enabling malware installation, data theft, or lateral movement.

Affected Products

IrfanView 4.66 (x64)
IrfanView installations processing SID image files
Systems where IrfanView is registered as a handler for image formats

Discovery Timeline

2024-11-22 - CVE-2024-9258 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9258

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is an uninitialized pointer access, classified as [CWE-824] Access of Uninitialized Pointer. The defect lives in IrfanView's SID file parsing routine. When the parser processes a malformed SID file, it dereferences a pointer that was never initialized to a valid memory location. The referenced memory is attacker-influenceable through the crafted file, giving the attacker control over the target of the dereference. This turns a memory safety bug into an arbitrary code execution primitive within the IrfanView process.

Exploitation requires user interaction. The user must open the malicious SID file directly or trigger it through a web page that invokes IrfanView as an external handler. Because IrfanView typically runs at the interactive user's integrity level, code executes with that user's privileges and file system access.

Root Cause

The SID parser reads structural fields from the input file and later uses a pointer derived from those fields without confirming the pointer was assigned during initialization. When the file omits or manipulates the fields that set the pointer, the code path uses stale or attacker-controlled data as a valid object reference. The lack of a guard on this initialization state is the root cause.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, but delivery can occur remotely through phishing, malicious downloads, or drive-by pages that reference SID content. The victim must open the crafted file with a vulnerable IrfanView build. No authentication is required on the target system. Technical details are documented in the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-24-1370.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. The vulnerability
mechanism is described above in prose. See the ZDI advisory for further
technical detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9258

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected SID files delivered via email attachments, chat, or web downloads targeting workstations with IrfanView installed
i_view64.exe or i_view32.exe spawning child processes such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe
Crash dumps or Windows Error Reporting entries referencing an access violation in IrfanView while opening SID content

Detection Strategies

Hunt for IrfanView process ancestry that ends in shell interpreters or LOLBins; legitimate image viewing should not produce such chains
Alert on IrfanView writing executable content, scheduled tasks, or Run-key persistence entries following the open of an image file
Inspect endpoint telemetry for outbound network connections initiated by IrfanView, which is not expected behavior for an image viewer

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable command-line and process-creation auditing (Windows Event ID 4688 or equivalent EDR telemetry) on endpoints with IrfanView deployed
Log file-open events for .sid files and correlate with subsequent IrfanView crashes or child process activity
Track software inventory to identify hosts still running IrfanView 4.66 or earlier

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9258

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade IrfanView to a version later than 4.66 once a fixed build is confirmed by the vendor
Remove or unregister the SID file association if the format is not required in the environment
Instruct users not to open SID files from untrusted sources and to verify the sender before opening image attachments

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor advisory URL was linked from the NVD entry. Administrators should consult the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-24-1370 and the IrfanView download page for the latest supported release. Apply the newest available IrfanView build and verify the version reported in Help > About.

Workarounds

Block or quarantine .sid files at the email gateway and web proxy until a patched IrfanView version is deployed
Remove the SID handler registration in IrfanView's Properties > Extensions dialog to prevent automatic parsing
Restrict IrfanView execution to standard user accounts and apply application control policies that prevent it from launching child processes

bash

# Windows: enumerate IrfanView installations and versions across a fleet
Get-CimInstance Win32_Product |
  Where-Object { $_.Name -like 'IrfanView*' } |
  Select-Object Name, Version, InstallLocation