CVE-2007-4939 in CD-Storm
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in mplayerc.exe in Media Player Classic (MPC) 6.4.9.0 and earlier, as used standalone and in mympc (aka CD-Storm) 1.0.0.1, StormPlayer 1.0.4, and possibly other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a .avi file with an "indx truck size" of 0xffffffff, and certain wLongsPerEntry and nEntriesInuse values.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4939 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow in Media Player Classic version 6.4.9.0 and earlier implementations. This flaw exists within the mplayerc.exe executable component that processes multimedia files, specifically targeting the handling of avi file structures. The vulnerability manifests when the media player encounters a maliciously crafted .avi file containing an indx truck size value of 0xffffffff, combined with specific wLongsPerEntry and nEntriesInuse parameters that trigger the buffer overflow condition. This issue affects not only standalone Media Player Classic installations but also various derivative products including mympc version 1.0.0.1, StormPlayer 1.0.4, and potentially other applications leveraging the same underlying media processing engine.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation within the avi file parsing routine where the application fails to adequately check array bounds when processing the index chunk structure. The heap-based nature of the buffer overflow means that memory corruption occurs in the heap memory region rather than on the stack, making it particularly challenging to predict and exploit. When the application processes an avi file with the malicious indx truck size of 0xffffffff, the parsing logic attempts to allocate memory based on this invalid value, leading to memory corruption that can result in application termination or potentially arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow, which directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through command and scripting interpreter. The specific parameters wLongsPerEntry and nEntriesInuse play crucial roles in determining the memory layout and triggering the overflow condition, making this a sophisticated exploit requiring precise control over the input parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-4939 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable remote code execution in vulnerable systems. When exploited successfully, attackers can cause applications to crash or more severely execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Media Player Classic. This vulnerability affects a wide range of media players that utilize the same underlying codebase, creating a significant attack surface across multiple products. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver malicious .avi files through various vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or peer-to-peer file sharing networks without requiring local access to the target system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects not just the core Media Player Classic application but also derivative products that may be installed on numerous systems, creating a widespread potential impact across enterprise and consumer environments. Organizations using these media players are at risk of unauthorized code execution and system compromise, making this vulnerability a critical security concern for both individual users and enterprise security teams.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4939 should focus on immediate patching of affected software versions, implementing network-based restrictions on avi file processing, and deploying application whitelisting controls to prevent execution of vulnerable media players. System administrators should prioritize updating to patched versions of Media Player Classic and related products, as version 6.4.10.0 and later contain fixes for this vulnerability. Network-level controls including content filtering and file type restrictions can help prevent the delivery of potentially malicious avi files to end-user systems. Additionally, implementing memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory allocation patterns and potential buffer overflow indicators during media file processing. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation and bounds checking in multimedia processing applications, as demonstrated by the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on preventing execution through proper input sanitization. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training to educate users about the risks of opening unknown or untrusted media files, particularly in enterprise environments where the attack surface is larger and more complex.