Gstreamer CVE-2023-44429
HIGHCVSS VectorNVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionNVD
GStreamer AV1 Codec Parsing Heap-based Buffer 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 AV1 encoded video files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-22226.
AnalysisAI
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in GStreamer's AV1 codec parsing functionality that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability affects all versions of GStreamer prior to the patched release and requires user interaction to exploit, such as opening a malicious AV1 video file. With a CVSS score of 8.8 and patches available since the disclosure, this represents a high-risk vulnerability for applications using GStreamer for media processing.
Technical ContextAI
GStreamer is a widely-used open-source multimedia framework that provides libraries and tools for constructing media processing pipelines. The vulnerability specifically affects the AV1 codec parsing component within GStreamer (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:gstreamer:gstreamer:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*). The root cause is a classic heap buffer overflow (CWE-122) where the AV1 parser fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied data before copying it to a fixed-size heap buffer. This type of memory corruption vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it can lead to arbitrary code execution by overwriting critical memory structures.
RemediationAI
Immediately upgrade GStreamer to a version that includes the security fix as detailed in the vendor's security advisory SA-2023-0009 available at https://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/security/sa-2023-0009.html. Organizations should prioritize patching systems that process untrusted media content or are exposed to external users. As a temporary mitigation, restrict processing of AV1-encoded content from untrusted sources and implement strict input validation for media files where possible. Monitor the Zero Day Initiative advisory at https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1648/ for any additional technical details or updates.
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