CVE-2004-0386 in MPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the HTTP parser for MPlayer 1.0pre3 and earlier, 0.90, and 0.91 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long Location header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0386 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the HTTP parser component of MPlayer media player versions 1.0pre3 and earlier, as well as versions 0.90 and 0.91. This issue resides in the application's handling of HTTP response headers, specifically the Location header field that is commonly used in HTTP redirects. The buffer overflow occurs when the parser processes a malformed HTTP response containing an excessively long Location header, causing memory corruption that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and boundary checking within the MPlayer HTTP parser. When processing HTTP responses, the application fails to properly validate the length of the Location header field, allowing attackers to craft malicious HTTP responses containing oversized header values. This flaw directly maps to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checks permit writing beyond allocated memory buffers. The vulnerability manifests when the parser attempts to copy header data into a fixed-size buffer without verifying that the incoming data exceeds the buffer capacity, leading to memory overwrite conditions that can be leveraged for code execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users who rely on MPlayer for media playback, particularly when accessing untrusted web content or downloading media files from potentially compromised sources. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting malicious web servers that return HTTP responses containing overly long Location headers, which when processed by the vulnerable MPlayer version, trigger the buffer overflow condition. The remote execution capability means that users do not need to manually download or execute malicious files, as simply viewing or playing media content from compromised sources can lead to system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through the manipulation of HTTP responses and the use of buffer overflow conditions to gain code execution privileges.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to install malware, modify system files, or establish persistent access to the affected system. The vulnerability affects a wide range of MPlayer users across different operating systems since the HTTP parsing functionality is a core component of the media player's network capabilities. Organizations and individuals using these vulnerable versions face substantial risk when accessing web-based media content, particularly in environments where network traffic is not properly filtered or monitored for malicious HTTP responses. Remediation efforts must include immediate patching of MPlayer installations to versions that contain proper input validation and buffer boundary checking mechanisms. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect and block malicious HTTP responses containing oversized headers, while users should avoid accessing untrusted web content until systems are properly updated to address this vulnerability through official patches released by the MPlayer development team.