CVE-2006-6172 in MPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the asmrp_eval function in the RealMedia RTSP stream handler (asmrp.c) for Real Media input plugin, as used in (1) xine/xine-lib, (2) MPlayer 1.0rc1 and earlier, and possibly others, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a rulebook with a large number of rulematches.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6172 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the RealMedia RTSP stream handler component of multimedia processing software. This flaw exists specifically within the asmrp_eval function located in the asmrp.c file, which forms part of the Real Media input plugin architecture. The vulnerability affects multiple media processing applications including xine/xine-lib and MPlayer versions up to and including 1.0rc1, making it a widespread concern across various multimedia frameworks that handle RealMedia streaming protocols.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the asmrp_eval function where the system fails to properly bounds-check data structures containing rulebook information. When processing RTSP streams, the function accepts rulebook parameters that contain rulematch entries, but does not adequately verify the number or size of these entries before processing them. This deficiency allows an attacker to craft malicious RTSP streams containing an excessive number of rulematches that exceed the allocated buffer space, triggering a buffer overflow condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous for networked multimedia applications. When the buffer overflow occurs during rulebook processing, it can corrupt adjacent memory regions and potentially allow an attacker to overwrite critical program execution pointers or inject malicious code into the target system. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage this flaw without requiring local system access, making it especially concerning for applications that process untrusted network streams.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation in network protocol handlers. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1203 category for "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1499 for "Endpoint Denial of Service." The vulnerability demonstrates how multimedia processing libraries can become attack vectors when they fail to implement proper input sanitization for streaming protocols that may receive untrusted data from remote sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-6172 require immediate patching of affected software versions, with system administrators prioritizing updates to xine-lib and MPlayer to versions that contain proper buffer bounds checking and input validation. Additionally, network administrators should implement proper firewall rules that restrict RTSP traffic to trusted sources and consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed RTSP packets. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation in protocol handlers and demonstrates why multimedia libraries must implement robust security measures when processing network streams, particularly those that may contain embedded scripting or rule-based content. Organizations should also consider implementing application-level sandboxing for multimedia processing components to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future.