CVE-2010-4374 in WinAmp
Summary
by MITRE
The in_mkv plugin in Winamp before 5.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a Matroska Video (MKV) file containing a string with a crafted length.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4374 represents a classic buffer overflow condition within the in_mkv plugin of Winamp media player versions prior to 5.6. This issue specifically affects the handling of Matroska Video file format elements, where the plugin fails to properly validate string lengths during parsing operations. The flaw exists in the plugin's implementation of MKV file structure parsing, which processes various metadata fields including titles, artists, and other textual information stored within the Matroska container format. When a maliciously crafted MKV file contains a string with an unexpectedly large or malformed length value, the plugin's memory allocation routines become compromised, leading to unpredictable behavior and ultimately application instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the MKV file's internal structure, particularly targeting the length fields that specify string sizes within the file's metadata sections. According to CWE-122, this represents a buffer overflow condition where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation, specifically CWE-20, where the plugin does not adequately validate the length parameters before attempting to process string data. This allows attackers to craft MKV files with maliciously large string length values that exceed the buffer capacity allocated by the in_mkv plugin, causing memory corruption and subsequent application crash.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to end users who may unknowingly encounter malicious MKV files through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or peer-to-peer file sharing networks. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users experience complete application failure when attempting to play affected files, disrupting their media playback experience and potentially indicating broader system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the dangers of legacy plugin architectures that lack proper memory management and input validation controls, particularly in media processing applications that must handle diverse and potentially malicious file formats. Attackers can leverage this weakness to disrupt media playback services, create availability issues for users, or potentially use it as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of Winamp to version 5.6 or later, where the in_mkv plugin has been updated with proper bounds checking and memory allocation validation. System administrators should implement strict file type validation and content scanning for media files, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted content. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability could be categorized under T1203, which involves legitimate user tools and utilities, as it exploits a legitimate media player application with malicious file content. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for media file processing, ensuring that potentially malicious files are analyzed in isolated environments before user access. Additionally, regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other multimedia applications and plugins that may be vulnerable to similar buffer overflow conditions.