CVE-2008-5238 in xine
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in the real_parse_mdpr function in demux_real.c in xine-lib 1.1.12, and other versions before 1.1.15, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted stream_name_size field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5238 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the xine-lib multimedia library version 1.1.12 and earlier versions up to 1.1.14. This issue resides in the real_parse_mdpr function located in the demux_real.c source file, which is responsible for parsing RealMedia file headers and metadata. The flaw manifests when processing a crafted stream_name_size field that exceeds the maximum representable value for a signed integer, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management and control flow. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that occurs when an operation on a signed integer causes the value to exceed its maximum representable value and wraps around to a negative value or zero.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious RealMedia stream with an oversized stream_name_size field that triggers the integer overflow during parsing operations. When the demux_real.c module processes this malformed input, the overflow causes the application to allocate insufficient memory or corrupt memory structures, resulting in either a segmentation fault that crashes the application or potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution if the overflow can be manipulated to overwrite critical program memory locations. The remote nature of this attack means that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability without requiring local access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for applications that process untrusted media content from web sources or file sharing networks.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5238 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the potential for arbitrary code execution creates significant security implications for systems that rely on xine-lib for media playback. This vulnerability affects a wide range of applications including web browsers, media players, and multimedia frameworks that incorporate xine-lib as a backend component. The exploitability of this flaw is enhanced by the fact that many applications automatically attempt to parse and display metadata from media files without adequate input validation, making the attack surface particularly broad. Security researchers have noted that such integer overflow vulnerabilities often map to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems, and T1499.004 for Endpoint Denial of Service, as the primary impact includes system crashes and service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and updating to xine-lib version 1.1.15 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly validate input sizes before processing. Organizations should implement input validation measures that include bounds checking for all integer values used in memory allocation calculations, particularly when dealing with user-supplied data from external sources. Additionally, deployment of network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malformed RealMedia streams can provide an additional layer of protection. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper integer handling in multimedia processing libraries and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of parsing functions that handle external data inputs. Security practitioners should also consider implementing application sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining compliance with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.