CVE-2023-44429: GStreamer AV1 Codec Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability - Critical Impact and Potential Exploit Paths

A newly discovered critical vulnerability has been found in GStreamer, a widely used multimedia framework. This vulnerability, assigned the CVE ID "CVE-2023-44429," allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GStreamer, potentially leading to severe security impacts.

Quick Details

* Vulnerability Type: Heap-based Buffer Overflow
* Affected Component: GStreamer AV1 Codec Parsing
* Impact: Remote Code Execution
* CVE ID: CVE-2023-44429
* Related Advisory: ZDI-CAN-22226

Background

GStreamer is a popular open-source multimedia processing library that is widely used across various platforms and applications. It provides a pipeline-based infrastructure with a modular architecture, making it easier for developers to create and manipulate multimedia content.

The specific vulnerability lies within the parsing of AV1 encoded video files in GStreamer. AV1 is a modern and efficient video compression format that is gaining traction for its high-quality output and lower bandwidth requirements.

Description of Vulnerability

Due to the lack of proper validation when parsing AV1 encoded video files, GStreamer allows user-supplied data to overrun a fixed-length heap-based buffer. The flawed implementation can enable an attacker to exploit this vulnerability remotely, leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker needs to engage with the vulnerable library, although specific attack vectors may vary based on different implementations.

Proof of Concept (PoC)

The following code snippet demonstrates how an attacker might craft an AV1 encoded file to trigger the vulnerability:

// Sample AV1 encoded file generation triggering the vulnerability
#include 
...
  const char crafted_av1_data[] = { /* crafted data here */ };
  size_t data_size = sizeof(crafted_av1_data);
...

The exact details of the crafted content are not provided here for security reasons. However, the idea is that an attacker could create a malicious AV1 encoded video file that, when processed by GStreamer, would trigger the buffer overflow, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine.

References and Further Reading

* GStreamer Official Website
* AV1 Codec Official Website
* CVE Details of CVE-2023-44429
* Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-CAN-22226

Recommendation

It is crucial for users and developers to make sure they are running the latest patched version of GStreamer, which addresses this vulnerability. Library and application maintainers, as well as security teams, must analyze their specific implementations for potential attack vectors and validate proper mitigation.

Organizations should regularly scan their infrastructure for vulnerable software components, apply security updates and patches, and educate their users about the potential risks associated with this vulnerability, such as phishing attacks involving malicious video files carrying the exploit.

By staying aware and proactive, we can collectively reduce the impact of vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-44429 and keep our systems and applications secure.

Timeline

Published on: 05/03/2024 03:15:57 UTC
Last modified on: 06/04/2024 17:19:26 UTC