CVE-2008-1482 in xine-lib
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in xine-lib 1.1.11 and earlier allow remote attackers to trigger heap-based buffer overflows and possibly execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted .FLV file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/demux_flv.c; (2) a crafted .MOV file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/demux_qt.c; (3) a crafted .RM file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/demux_real.c; (4) a crafted .MVE file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/demux_wc3movie.c; (5) a crafted .MKV file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/ebml.c; or (6) a crafted .CAK file, which triggers an overflow in demuxers/demux_film.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1482 represents a critical security flaw affecting xine-lib versions 1.1.11 and earlier, impacting multimedia playback functionality across multiple file formats. This issue stems from integer overflow conditions that occur during the parsing of various multimedia container formats, creating opportunities for remote code execution through carefully crafted malicious files. The vulnerability affects the demultiplexer components within xine-lib, which are responsible for parsing and extracting audio and video data from container files, making it a fundamental weakness in the media processing pipeline.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves multiple code paths within the demuxers directory where integer overflows occur when processing specific fields in multimedia headers. In demux_flv.c, crafted .FLV files can cause integer overflows that result in heap-based buffer overflows during memory allocation for video frame data. Similarly, demux_qt.c in the .MOV file handler, demux_real.c in the .RM file parser, demux_wc3movie.c in the .MVE file processing, ebml.c in the .MKV file handling, and demux_film.c in the .CAK file processing all exhibit the same pattern of integer overflow leading to heap corruption. These overflows typically occur when header fields specify sizes that, when processed through arithmetic operations, exceed the maximum value that can be represented by the integer data type, causing the subsequent memory allocation to be insufficient for the actual data size.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to systems running xine-lib as a multimedia player or processing component. Attackers can remotely exploit this weakness by delivering maliciously crafted media files through various vectors including web downloads, email attachments, or file sharing networks. The heap-based buffer overflows can lead to memory corruption that potentially allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the vulnerable application. This represents a classic remote code execution vulnerability that can be exploited in web browsers, media players, or any application utilizing the affected xine-lib version. The impact extends beyond individual user systems to enterprise environments where media processing applications may be exposed to untrusted content.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow and underflow conditions, and represents a specific instance of CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, within the context of multimedia file processing. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code through legitimate media processing applications. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond opening or playing the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in automated or unattended systems. Organizations using xine-lib in their multimedia infrastructure should prioritize immediate patching of this vulnerability, as the integer overflow conditions can be reliably triggered through the various file formats mentioned in the CVE description.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate application of security patches from the xine-lib maintainers, implementing network-based restrictions on multimedia file types, and deploying application whitelisting policies that limit execution of untrusted media files. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing sandboxing techniques for multimedia processing applications and monitoring for unusual memory allocation patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of multimedia processing components and maintaining up-to-date vulnerability assessments are essential for preventing successful exploitation of similar integer overflow vulnerabilities in other multimedia libraries and frameworks.