CVE-2008-0630 in MPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in url.c in MPlayer 1.0rc2 and SVN before r25823 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted URL that prevents the IPv6 parsing code from setting a pointer to NULL, which causes the buffer to be reused by the unescape code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0630 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the MPlayer media player software version 1.0rc2 and earlier SVN revisions before r25823. This flaw exists in the url.c component of the application's source code and specifically targets the IPv6 address parsing functionality. The vulnerability arises from improper pointer management during URL processing, creating a scenario where memory corruption can occur when handling malformed network addresses. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities that can result from inadequate bounds checking.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious URL that specifically targets the IPv6 parsing code path within MPlayer. During the parsing process, the IPv6 address handling code fails to properly initialize or nullify a pointer variable that should be set to NULL after processing. This failure creates a condition where the buffer memory location becomes available for reuse by subsequent code paths, particularly the URL unescaping functionality. The unescape code attempts to process data into this already allocated buffer without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data structures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to achieve arbitrary code execution on systems running affected versions of MPlayer. This remote code execution vulnerability allows attackers to potentially take complete control of the affected system, execute malicious payloads, or establish persistent access points. The vulnerability affects systems where MPlayer is used to process network-based media content, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users might encounter untrusted URLs or media content from unknown sources. The attack vector is specifically designed to be remote, meaning no local access or user interaction is required beyond the simple act of opening a maliciously crafted URL within the vulnerable MPlayer application.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-0630 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that contain the patched url.c implementation. Organizations should implement network-based restrictions to prevent access to untrusted URL sources and consider deploying network monitoring solutions that can detect and block suspicious URL patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics that align with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services, and T1059, which involves command and script injection. System administrators should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted media players or applications that handle network-based content processing. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to limit access to media player applications from untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability.