CVE-2017-20286 Details

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in DevIL versions through 1.8.0, specifically within the GIF image loading functionality. The issue arises in the 'iGetPalette' function of 'il_gif.cpp', where the library allocates a fixed 768-byte buffer for color palettes. When processing certain GIF images, attackers can exploit this by crafting a two-frame GIF that causes the second frame to write beyond the allocated buffer, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability is triggered when the second frame uses a local color table and a specific disposal method, allowing attackers to control the overflow by up to 384 bytes.

Users can update to a patched version of DevIL where this vulnerability has been addressed. The specific fix involves correcting the palette size handling to prevent out-of-bounds writes.