CVE-2023-5595: Denial of Service Vulnerability in gpac/gpac Repository Prior to Version 2.3.-DEV

The gpac/gpac repository, which is a multimedia framework for research and academic purposes, was found to have a Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability in versions prior to 2.3.-DEV. This post will detail the CVE-2023-5595 vulnerability, its implications, the code snippet that showcases the problem, links to original references, and the details of the exploit. The content of this post aims to be simple to understand, exclusive to this vulnerability, and presented in American English.

Vulnerability Details

CVE ID: CVE-2023-5595
Affected Versions: gpac/gpac prior to 2.3.-DEV
Severity: Medium
CVSS Score: 5. (AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P)
Impact: Denial of Service (DoS)

Description

In the gpac/gpac GitHub repository, a Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2.3.-DEV. This vulnerability allows an attacker to perform a DoS attack by crashing vulnerable applications that use the gpac framework.

The most likely attack vector involves the attacker sending a specifically crafted multimedia file to the vulnerable application. The application, built with the vulnerable gpac/gpac code, would then attempt to parse the file, triggering the DoS vulnerability and causing the application to crash or become unresponsive.

The vulnerability lies in the following code snippet in the mp4box_demuxer.c file

void demux_mp4(gpac_file_t *file, uint64_t offset, uint64_t bytes) {
  MP4BoxDemuxer *mp4_demuxer;
  BoxType_mdat mdat;
  ...
  create_chunk_offsets_array(mp4_demuxer, &mdat);
  parse_boxes(file, mp4_demuxer);
  ...
}

The parse_boxes function attempts to parse the multimedia file but does not properly handle cases where the file is malformed or has unexpected content. This results in a buffer overflow or an infinite loop, ultimately leading to a crash in the application using the gpac framework.

Exploit Details

To exploit the CVE-2023-5595 vulnerability, an attacker needs to create a malformed multimedia file and send it to the application built with the vulnerable gpac/gpac code (prior to 2.3.-DEV). The application will then attempt to parse the file using the parse_boxes function, triggering the infinite loop or buffer overflow and causing the application to crash.

The specific steps to create a malicious file and carry out the attack may vary depending on the attacker's knowledge and tools. It is essential to patch the vulnerable gpac/gpac code by upgrading to version 2.3.-DEV to prevent such attacks from being successful.

Patching the Vulnerability

To prevent exploitation of the CVE-2023-5595 vulnerability, developers should update their gpac/gpac code to version 2.3.-DEV, which fixes the DoS issue gpac/gpac version 2.3.-DEV. Updating to the patched version will provide protection against the discussed Denial of Service attack.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-5595 is a Denial of Service vulnerability in the gpac/gpac GitHub repository, affecting versions prior to 2.3.-DEV. Developers using the gpac/gpac framework should ensure they are using the patched version 2.3.-DEV to prevent potential exploitation of their applications. By staying up-to-date with the latest security patches and utilizing secure coding practices, developers can minimize the risks associated with software vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 10/16/2023 09:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/20/2023 15:09:00 UTC