Gstreamer
CVE-2023-40474
HIGH
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Integer overflow checks
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects a network-accessible vulnerability requiring no authentication but needing user interaction, with high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The EPSS score of 6.53% (91st percentile) indicates this vulnerability has a higher-than-average likelihood of exploitation compared to other CVEs, though it is not currently in CISA's KEV catalog suggesting no confirmed active exploitation in the wild. The requirement for user interaction (opening/processing a malicious MXF file) somewhat limits the attack surface compared to vulnerabilities requiring no interaction, but the widespread use of GStreamer in media applications, web browsers, and content management systems makes this a significant concern for organizations handling untrusted media content. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker could craft a malicious MXF video file with specific header values designed to trigger the integer overflow when parsed by a vulnerable GStreamer installation. When a user opens this file in any application using GStreamer (such as a media player, video editor, or web browser processing media content), the overflow could corrupt memory and allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running application. Given the network attack vector and low complexity noted in the CVSS score, delivery could occur through various means including email attachments, malicious websites, or file sharing platforms. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 17, 2026
A critical integer overflow vulnerability in GStreamer's MXF (Material eXchange Format) video file parser allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when processing specially crafted media files. The vulnerability affects all versions of GStreamer prior to the patched releases and requires user interaction (such as opening a malicious video file) to exploit, with an EPSS score of 6.53% indicating moderate real-world exploitation likelihood. While not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog, the vulnerability has a high CVSS score of 8.8 and patches are available from the vendor.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor patches immediately by upgrading to GStreamer versions that include the fixes detailed in security advisory SA-2023-0006 available at https://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/security/sa-2023-0006.html. For Debian-based systems, refer to the security update at https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00038.html for distribution-specific patches. Until patching is complete, consider implementing input validation for MXF files, restricting processing of untrusted media content, or isolating media processing operations in sandboxed environments to limit potential damage from exploitation.
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Technical ContextAI · show details
GStreamer is a widely-used open-source multimedia framework that provides libraries and tools for handling audio and video processing across multiple platforms. The vulnerability specifically affects the MXF demuxer component responsible for parsing Material eXchange Format files, a professional video container format commonly used in broadcast and production environments. The root cause is CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound), where insufficient validation of user-supplied data during MXF file parsing can cause an integer overflow when calculating buffer sizes, potentially leading to heap corruption and subsequent code execution in the context of the application using GStreamer.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
GStreamer MXF File Parsing Integer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GStreamer. Interaction with this library is required to exploit this vulnerability but attack vectors may vary depending on the implementation.
The specific flaw exists within the parsing of MXF video files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in an integer overflow before allocating a buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. . Was ZDI-CAN-21660.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2023-40474 presents significant security risk, a integer overflow vulnerability rated CVSS 8.8. Exploitation could allow attackers to corrupt memory, crash the application, or potentially execute arbitrary code. A patch is available and should be applied as part of regular vulnerability management.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in the flx_decode_delta_fli function in gst/flx/gstflxdec.c in the FLIC decoder in GStreamer
Heap-based buffer overflow in the flx_decode_delta_fli function in gst/flx/gstflxdec.c in the FLIC decoder in GStreamer
Heap-based buffer overflow in the flx_decode_delta_fli function in gst/flx/gstflxdec.c in the FLIC decoder in GStreamer
The FLIC decoder in GStreamer before 1.10.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write an
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in GStreamer's RTSP connection parser that allows remote attackers to
A heap buffer over-read vulnerability exists in GStreamer's isomp4 plugin that allows reading past allocated memory boun
An integer overflow vulnerability in the GStreamer multimedia framework's matroska demuxer allows heap memory corruption
A critical integer overflow vulnerability in GStreamer's qtdemux element allows attackers to trigger denial of service o
A critical integer overflow vulnerability in the GStreamer multimedia framework's Matroska (MKV) demuxer can cause denia
An integer overflow vulnerability in GStreamer's Matroska demuxer can cause denial of service or potentially heap memory
An integer overflow vulnerability in GStreamer's AVI demux element allows attackers to trigger a heap overwrite when par
A heap overflow vulnerability exists in GStreamer's matroskaparse element due to an integer overflow in the gst_matroska
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB