CVE-2006-1502 in MPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in MPlayer 1.0pre7try2 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service and trigger heap-based buffer overflows via (1) a certain ASF file handled by asfheader.c that causes the asf_descrambling function to be passed a negative integer after the conversion from a char to an int or (2) an AVI file with a crafted wLongsPerEntry or nEntriesInUse value in the indx chunk, which is handled in aviheader.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1502 represents a critical security flaw affecting MPlayer version 1.0pre7try2, specifically targeting integer overflow conditions that can lead to severe system instability and potential exploitation. This vulnerability exists within the multimedia handling components of the software, particularly in the ASF file processing module asfheader.c and the AVI file processing module aviheader.c. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and improper handling of integer conversions that can result in unexpected behavior when processing specially crafted media files.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two distinct attack vectors that exploit integer overflow conditions in different file format parsers. In the first scenario, the asf_descrambling function in asfheader.c receives a negative integer value after conversion from a char to an int type, causing the function to process invalid data structures that ultimately lead to heap-based buffer overflows. This occurs when an attacker crafts an ASF file containing malicious data that, when processed by the media player, triggers the integer conversion error. The second vulnerability manifests in AVI file processing where crafted values in the indx chunk's wLongsPerEntry or nEntriesInUse fields cause similar integer overflow conditions in aviheader.c, resulting in memory corruption that can be exploited for denial of service or potentially more severe attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-1502 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as the heap-based buffer overflows can potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated exploitation techniques. When the integer overflows occur, they create memory corruption that can cause the MPlayer application to crash or behave unpredictably, leading to system instability and potential denial of service for legitimate users. The vulnerability affects the core multimedia processing functionality of MPlayer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered simply by opening or playing maliciously crafted media files, without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond normal media playback. This makes the vulnerability highly exploitable in environments where users might encounter untrusted media content, such as in web browsers or email attachments.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions that can lead to buffer overflows, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves the use of malicious files to cause system instability. The vulnerability represents a classic example of improper integer handling in multimedia processing libraries, where the conversion from signed to unsigned integers or the lack of proper bounds checking creates exploitable conditions. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions of MPlayer, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and integer handling in multimedia applications, as these components often process untrusted data from external sources without adequate security controls. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of potentially vulnerable media players and ensure that all multimedia processing components are kept current with security patches.