CVE-2009-4931 in Groovy Media Player
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Groovy Media Player 1.1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string in a .m3u playlist file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4931 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within Groovy Media Player version 1.1.0 that exposes the application to remote exploitation. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the media player processes malformed .m3u playlist files containing excessively long strings, creating a condition where the application fails to properly validate input lengths before copying data to fixed-size stack buffers. The flaw stems from inadequate bounds checking mechanisms that allow malicious actors to overflow the allocated stack memory space, potentially leading to unpredictable application behavior including crashes or more severe consequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability operates through a classic stack buffer overflow attack vector where an attacker crafts a specially formatted .m3u playlist file containing a string that exceeds the predetermined buffer capacity allocated for handling playlist entries. When the vulnerable media player attempts to parse and process this malicious input, the excessive string data overflows into adjacent stack memory regions, corrupting the program's execution flow. This overflow can overwrite return addresses, function pointers, and other critical stack data structures, fundamentally compromising the application's integrity and stability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to both individual users and enterprise environments that rely on Groovy Media Player for audio content management. The potential for remote code execution means that attackers could gain unauthorized control over affected systems, while the denial of service component can disrupt legitimate media playback operations and create availability issues for users. The vulnerability's remote exploitability eliminates the need for local system access, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can target users without requiring physical presence or prior system compromise. The impact extends beyond simple application instability, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise through code execution.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite stack memory, and it corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and system compromise. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface analysis, particularly in environments where legacy media players remain in use or where users frequently process untrusted playlist files from external sources. Mitigation strategies must include immediate patching of the affected software version, implementation of input validation controls for playlist file processing, and network segmentation to limit exposure to potentially malicious content. Additionally, users should be educated about the dangers of processing untrusted media playlist files and organizations should establish robust software update policies to ensure timely remediation of known vulnerabilities.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the persistent threat landscape surrounding multimedia applications and highlights the importance of secure coding practices in media processing software. The flaw serves as a reminder that even seemingly benign applications can contain critical security weaknesses when proper input validation and memory management controls are not implemented. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their media processing infrastructure and ensure that all third-party applications undergo security reviews before deployment in production environments.