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Gstreamer CVE-2026-3081

| EUVDEUVD-2026-12121 HIGH
Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121)
2026-03-13 zdi
RCE Buffer Overflow Stack Overflow Gstreamer
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: zdi
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Craft malicious H.266 encoded media file
  2. Delivery
    Open file in GStreamer application
  3. Exploit
    Parser processes decoding unit
  4. Execution
    Stack buffer overflow triggered
  5. Impact
    Arbitrary code execution with user privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
CWE-121
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Stack buffer bounds checking
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.

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Exploitation Conditions

GStreamer library with H.266 codec parser enabled must process attacker-controlled media file. User interaction required to open or play the malicious media file through a GStreamer-based application (e.g., media player, video editor).
Impact

The CVSS 7.8 score indicates high severity, but real-world risk is moderate. The attack vector is Local (AV:L) requiring user interaction (UI:R) with no privileges needed (PR:N), suggesting exploitation requires tricking users into opening malicious media files. Without KEV listing, public PoC, or EPSS data, there's no evidence of active exploitation. The vulnerability allows full compromise (C:H/I:H/A:H) but the exploitation barrier is significant - attackers must deliver malicious H.266 video content and convince users to process it. This represents a legitimate but not critical risk for most organizations.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malicious H.266 video file with specially crafted decoding units that trigger the buffer overflow when parsed. The video could be delivered via email attachment, malicious website download, or embedded in documents. When a user opens the file in a GStreamer-based application (media player, browser, etc.), the overflow overwrites stack memory, allowing arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the media application. No public PoC exists, but the technical barrier is moderate for skilled attackers familiar with video codec internals.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 13, 2026

Stack-based buffer overflow in GStreamer's H.266 codec parser that allows remote code execution when processing malicious video files. The vulnerability affects all versions of GStreamer (CPE shows wildcard versioning) and requires user interaction to trigger, such as opening a malicious media file. No active exploitation (not in KEV) or public PoC has been reported, with EPSS data unavailable.

RemediationAI

Apply the patch available at https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/commit/2ffdfca2df95a7f605c922d3111e5d5be5314dca which fixes the buffer overflow issue. As a temporary mitigation, disable H.266/VVC codec support if not required, or implement strict input validation for media files from untrusted sources. Monitor the Zero Day Initiative advisory at https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-162/ for updates. Organizations should prioritize patching systems that process untrusted media content.

Affected VersionsENISA

GStreamer 1c6e163aa33962f5ee4a87d29319ccdd5cb67612

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Technical ContextAI · show details

GStreamer is a widely-used open-source multimedia framework that processes audio/video streams. The vulnerability occurs in the H.266 (VVC - Versatile Video Coding) codec parser component when parsing decoding units. As a CWE-121 stack-based buffer overflow, the flaw stems from insufficient bounds checking when copying user-supplied data to a fixed-size stack buffer. The affected product identifier cpe:2.3:a:gstreamer:gstreamer:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* indicates all GStreamer versions are potentially vulnerable until patched.

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Severity by source

Vendor (zdi) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
SUSE HIGH
Red Hat 7.8 HIGH

Primary rating from Vendor (zdi).

CVSS VectorVendor: zdi

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

GStreamer H.266 Codec Parser Stack-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 decoding units. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length stack-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-28839.

Zero Day Initiative Advisories

ZDI-26-162 GStreamer H.266 Codec Parser Stack-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Mar 2026

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-3081 is a high-severity remote code execution vulnerability in GStreamer's H.266 codec parser that could allow attackers to compromise systems when users open malicious video files. Organizations using GStreamer for media processing face potential data breach and system compromise risks until a patch becomes available.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Disable H.266 codec parsing in GStreamer configurations where not operationally required. Restrict GStreamer process execution through application whitelisting and sandboxing. Implement file-type validation and reject H.266 video files at ingress points. Segment networks to limit lateral movement if code execution occurs. Monitor for suspicious GStreamer process behavior. Consider running media processing tasks with minimal privilege accounts and in isolated containers. Block untrusted external video sources at email gateways and web proxies.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 82% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vendor 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.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Buffer Overflow HIGH

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Stack-based Buffer Overflow HIGH

A stack-based buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a buffer located on the stack than it was allocated to hold.

Remote Code Execution CRITICAL

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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The FLIC decoder in GStreamer before 1.10.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write an
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Same weakness CWE-121 – Stack-based Buffer Overflow

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Same technique RCE

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP7 Fixed

References

Advisories & patches
ADVISORY https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/commit/2ffdfca2df95a7f605c922d3111e5d5be5314dca ADVISORY https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3081 ADVISORY https://vuldb.com/?id.349623 REF https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-3081 REF https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2447494 REF https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-3081.json REF https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-26-162/

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