CVE-2025-43965 is a vulnerability identified in the ImageMagick software, specifically affecting the MIFF (Magick Image File Format) image processing component in versions prior to 7.1.1-44. The root cause of the vulnerability is an incorrect calculation of buffer size related to image depth handling after the function SetQuantumFormat is invoked. This issue is classified under CWE-131, which pertains to incorrect calculation of buffer size, potentially leading to buffer overflows or memory corruption. However, in this case, the vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but may cause a denial of service by crashing the application or causing it to behave unpredictably due to improper memory handling. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 2.9, indicating a low severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L) shows that the attack vector is local (AV:L), requires high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and affects only availability (A:L) with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, though the fixed version is 7.1.1-44 or later. The vulnerability arises when processing MIFF images, which are less commonly used compared to other formats, but ImageMagick is widely deployed for image manipulation in various applications and services. Improper buffer size calculation after SetQuantumFormat can lead to memory issues during image processing, potentially causing application crashes or denial of service scenarios in systems that rely on ImageMagick for image handling.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is primarily related to availability disruptions in services that utilize ImageMagick for image processing, especially those handling MIFF images. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, denial of service conditions could affect web services, content management systems, or automated image processing pipelines that depend on ImageMagick. Organizations in sectors such as media, publishing, e-commerce, and digital content delivery, which often rely on image manipulation, could experience service interruptions. The low severity and local attack vector reduce the likelihood of widespread exploitation, but internal systems or developer environments where untrusted MIFF images are processed could be vulnerable to crashes or instability. Given the high attack complexity and local access requirement, remote exploitation is unlikely, limiting the threat mainly to insider threats or compromised internal systems. However, any downtime in critical services could have operational and reputational consequences.

1. Upgrade ImageMagick to version 7.1.1-44 or later as soon as the patch becomes available to ensure the vulnerability is addressed. 2. Restrict processing of MIFF image files if not required by the application to reduce the attack surface. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all image files, especially those uploaded or received from untrusted sources, to prevent malformed or malicious MIFF images from being processed. 4. Employ application-level sandboxing or containerization for image processing tasks to isolate potential crashes and prevent them from affecting broader system stability. 5. Monitor logs and system behavior for signs of crashes or abnormal terminations related to image processing components. 6. Limit local access to systems running ImageMagick to trusted users only, reducing the risk of local exploitation. 7. Incorporate automated testing for image processing components to detect failures caused by malformed images during development and deployment cycles.