CVE-2022-3816 - Axiomatic Bento4 Memory Leak Vulnerability Exploitation Details and Demonstrative Code Snippet

In the world of cybersecurity, every now and then, we come across vulnerabilities that pose a significant threat. Keeping up with these vulnerabilities is crucial to ensure the safety and security of our systems. One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-3816, has been discovered in the Axiomatic Bento4 software suite. This vulnerability is classified as "problematic" and requires immediate attention.

Axiomatic Bento4 is a widely used C++ class library and tools designed to read, write, and edit ISO-MP4 files. The vulnerability affects an unknown function of the mp4decrypt component, leading to memory leaks—possibly resulting in severe performance degradation and even denial of service (DoS) attacks.

This post will delve deeper into the details of the exploit, its potential consequences, how it can be launched remotely, and a code snippet illustrating the exploit. We will also provide links to original references for further reading. The vulnerability has been assigned the identifier VDB-212682.

Exploit Details

CVE-2022-3816 identifies a memory leak vulnerability within the mp4decrypt component of the Axiomatic Bento4 suite. When exploited, this vulnerability can cause the application to consume excessive memory, resulting in poor performance and eventually crashing. Although these memory leak vulnerabilities are typically less severe than those leading to remote code execution or data leakage, they can still be disruptive, and remediation should be implemented as soon as possible.

The attack takes advantage of the way Bento4 handles certain input files, leading to unexpected memory consumption. As this exploit can be triggered remotely, an attacker with the right knowledge can potentially exploit this vulnerability with relative ease.

The following code snippet demonstrates the exploitation of the CVE-2022-3816 vulnerability

#include <iostream>
#include "Ap4.h"

int main(int argc, const char *argv[]) {
    // The malicious input file
    const char* input_filename = "path/to/malicious/file.mp4";
    // Decrypt output file (unused)
    const char* output_filename = "path/to/output/file.mp4";

    // Load input file
    AP4_ByteStream* input;
    AP4_Result result = AP4_FileByteStream::Create(input_filename, AP4_FileByteStream::STREAM_MODE_READ, input);
    if (AP4_FAILED(result)) {
        std::cerr << "ERROR: Failed to open input file (" << result << ")\n";
        return 1;
    }

    // Demonstrate memory leak in mp4decrypt component
    AP4_File file(*input, AP4_DefaultAtomFactory::Instance, true);
    // ... code to exploit vulnerability ...

    // Cleanup
    input->Release();
}

This snippet illustrates the basic structure required to exploit the vulnerability. For a real-world scenario, an attacker would need to craft a malicious input file to trigger the memory leak.

To learn more about CVE-2022-3816, you can refer to the following resources

1. CVE-2022-3816 - Official NIST Reference
2. VDB-212682 - Vulnerability Details
3. Axiomatic Bento4 GitHub Repository

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CVE-2022-3816 vulnerability found in Axiomatic Bento4's mp4decrypt component is a problematic issue that requires attention. While it may not lead to data breaches or remote code execution, its potential consequences like a denial of service attack can still be detrimental to users. It is essential to stay updated with the latest patches and fixes to ensure the security of your systems.

Users and developers relying on the Axiomatic Bento4 library should monitor the official channels for updates regarding this vulnerability and apply the necessary security patches as they become available.

Timeline

Published on: 11/01/2022 22:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/02/2022 18:54:00 UTC