CVE-2007-6558 in TotalPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
TotalPlayer 3.0 allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a large .m3u file. NOTE: this might be a duplicate of CVE-2006-6288.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6558 affects TotalPlayer 3.0, a media player application that processes multimedia playlist files. This issue represents a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests through malformed input handling, specifically when processing .m3u playlist files. The vulnerability is classified as a user-assisted remote attack vector, meaning that an attacker must convince a user to open a specially crafted malicious file for the exploit to be effective. The flaw results in application crash and subsequent denial of service, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the media player functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the playlist parsing component of TotalPlayer. When the application encounters a large .m3u file, it fails to properly handle the excessive data size, leading to memory corruption that causes the application to terminate unexpectedly. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a common weakness in software that does not properly validate or limit input data sizes. The attack scenario requires the victim to interact with the malicious file, making it a user-assisted rather than fully autonomous exploit.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant disruption for end users who rely on TotalPlayer for media playback. The denial of service condition renders the application completely unusable until manually restarted, potentially affecting productivity in environments where the player is used for regular media consumption. The vulnerability's classification as potentially duplicating CVE-2006-6288 suggests a pattern of similar flaws in media player applications that process external playlist files, indicating a systemic issue in how these applications handle untrusted input data. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where users may encounter playlist files from untrusted sources, as the attack requires minimal user interaction beyond simply opening the file.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper input validation and size limitations for playlist files, ensuring that applications do not process files exceeding predetermined size thresholds. System administrators should consider updating to patched versions of TotalPlayer where available, or implementing network-level controls to prevent execution of potentially malicious playlist files. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, highlighting the need for endpoint protection measures that monitor for suspicious file execution patterns. Additionally, organizations should implement security awareness training to educate users about the risks of opening unknown playlist files, as the user-assisted nature of the attack relies heavily on social engineering elements to succeed.