CVE-2022-3812: Exploring the Memory Leak Vulnerability in Axiomatic Bento4's mp4encrypt

A security vulnerability (CVE-2022-3812) has been discovered in Axiomatic Bento4, a popular open-source toolkit for multimedia content manipulation. This vulnerability has been rated as problematic, affecting the function AP4_ContainerAtom::AP4_ContainerAtom within the mp4encrypt component. The vulnerability can be exploited by causing a memory leak, and the attack may be launched remotely. This post will provide a detailed insight into the vulnerability, the code snippet in which the vulnerability is present, and the exploit details. The vulnerability identifier for this issue is VDB-212678.

Vulnerability present in the code snippet

The vulnerability lies in the AP4_ContainerAtom::AP4_ContainerAtom function within the mp4encrypt component of Axiomatic Bento4. The manipulation of this specific function results in a memory leak, which can be exploited by an attacker remotely. Below is a code snippet illustrating the vulnerable function:

// Code snippet from Axiomatic Bento4's mp4encrypt component exhibiting the vulnerability
AP4_ContainerAtom::AP4_ContainerAtom(AP4_Atom::Type type,
                                     AP4_UI32         size,
                                     bool             is_full,
                                     AP4_ByteStream&  stream)
  : AP4_Atom(type, size, is_full),
    AP4_ByteStream(NULL)
{
    ReadChildren(stream);
}

The original discovery and disclosure of this vulnerability can be found at the following links

- Vulnerability summary and description: https://vuldb.com/?id.212678
- Bento4 project GitHub page: https://github.com/axiomatic-systems/Bento4

Exploit details

Although the exploit has been publicly disclosed and may be used by attackers, sharing the exact exploit code could potentially put more systems at risk. Therefore, we will not provide the explicit exploit code in this post.

However, it is crucial to understand that the memory leak vulnerability can be exploited by remotely sending specially crafted MP4 input files, manipulating the AP4_ContainerAtom::AP4_ContainerAtom function, and causing a memory leak in the Bento4 instance. This kind of attack can lead to a Denial-of-Service (DoS) scenario, where the application resources are exhausted, severely affecting the availability and performance of the multimedia content manipulation services provided by Bento4.

Mitigation and recommendations

To ensure the security of your systems and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability, we recommend the following steps:
1. Keep your Axiomatic Bento4 software up-to-date. Make sure you are using the most recent version with all the necessary security patches applied. Follow announcements and version updates from the official Bento4 GitHub repository: https://github.com/axiomatic-systems/Bento4

2. Keep an eye on security advisories related to the Bento4 toolkit. Regularly monitor sources such as VulDB, CVE databases, and relevant cybersecurity news outlets.

3. Be cautious when dealing with untrusted multimedia content, especially MP4 files, as they may be crafted to exploit this vulnerability.

4. Implement security best practices for the usage and deployment of Axiomatic Bento4 within your organization or systems.

Conclusion

The CVE-2022-3812 vulnerability in Axiomatic Bento4's mp4encrypt component is a problematic issue that can lead to memory leak and potential Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. It is vital to stay informed about the latest updates from the original references and keep the Bento4 toolkit up-to-date with the necessary security patches. Furthermore, adhering to security best practices and taking mitigation steps helps minimize the impact and protect your systems from potential attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 11/01/2022 22:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/02/2022 19:00:00 UTC