CVE-2004-0433 in MPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in the Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) client for (1) MPlayer before 1.0pre4 and (2) xine lib (xine-lib) before 1-rc4, when playing Real RTSP (realrtsp) streams, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via (a) long URLs, (b) long Real server responses, or (c) long Real Data Transport (RDT) packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0433 represents a critical security flaw affecting Real-Time Streaming Protocol clients in multimedia applications. This issue impacts two major open-source media players, MPlayer and xine-lib, which are widely used for handling various multimedia formats including Real Network streaming protocols. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the RTSP client implementations, creating exploitable buffer overflow conditions that can be triggered through malformed network responses during media streaming operations. These buffer overflows occur specifically when processing Real RTSP streams, which are used by RealNetworks for delivering multimedia content over networks. The flaw affects versions prior to MPlayer 1.0pre4 and xine-lib 1-rc4, indicating this was a known issue that required software updates to address.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves multiple attack vectors that exploit different aspects of the RTSP protocol handling. Attackers can trigger buffer overflows through three primary methods: sending excessively long URLs that exceed allocated buffer space, providing overly lengthy responses from Real servers that exceed expected data lengths, or transmitting extended Real Data Transport packets that surpass memory allocation limits. These buffer overflows occur in the client-side parsing logic where the applications fail to properly validate the length of incoming data before copying it into fixed-size memory buffers. The vulnerability manifests as a potential crash of the affected media player applications, but more concerning is the possibility of arbitrary code execution when attackers can control the overflow behavior. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in network protocol implementations. The attack surface is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it a significant threat to systems that automatically process or stream media content.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-0433 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution on vulnerable systems. When exploited successfully, attackers can cause applications to crash or, more critically, gain control over the executing process through carefully crafted malicious RTSP streams. This vulnerability affects systems that process Real RTSP streams automatically, including web servers, media servers, and end-user applications that handle streaming content. The attack vectors are particularly concerning because they can be triggered simply by accessing a malicious website or streaming server that delivers crafted RTSP content. The vulnerability affects the broader ecosystem of multimedia applications that rely on RTSP protocol support, creating widespread potential impact across different platforms and deployment scenarios. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in network protocol implementations and highlights how seemingly benign streaming protocols can become attack vectors when not properly secured.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches to address the buffer overflow conditions in affected applications. System administrators should prioritize updating MPlayer to version 1.0pre4 or later and xine-lib to version 1-rc4 or newer to eliminate the risk of exploitation. Additionally, network administrators should implement filtering measures to restrict access to Real RTSP streams when such content is not required for legitimate operations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of remote services through buffer overflows, and represents a classic example of how protocol implementation flaws can create persistent security risks. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious streaming content. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual RTSP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusually long URLs or malformed responses that could indicate buffer overflow attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in network protocol implementations, particularly for applications that process streaming media content from untrusted sources.