CVE-2011-0498 in Multimedia Player
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in Nokia Multimedia Player 1.00.55.5010, and possibly other versions, allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long entry in a playlist (.npl) file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0498 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within Nokia Multimedia Player version 1.00.55.5010 and potentially other iterations of the software. This vulnerability resides in the playlist file handling mechanism, specifically when processing .npl files that contain excessively long entries. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and bounds checking during the parsing of playlist data structures, creating an exploitable condition where maliciously crafted playlist entries can overwrite adjacent memory locations on the program's stack. The vulnerability manifests through user-assisted remote attack vectors, meaning an attacker can induce the vulnerability by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted playlist file, typically delivered through email attachments, malicious websites, or file sharing networks. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond opening the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in social engineering scenarios where users might inadvertently trigger the exploit. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as a fundamental flaw in memory management where data written to a buffer exceeds the allocated stack space, potentially corrupting adjacent memory regions and leading to unpredictable program behavior.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability results in immediate system instability and can lead to either denial of service conditions or arbitrary code execution on the target system. When the multimedia player attempts to process an overly long entry within the playlist file, the buffer overflow causes the program to crash abruptly, resulting in a denial of service that prevents legitimate media playback functionality. However, the more severe implications arise when the overflow is carefully crafted to overwrite critical program execution elements such as return addresses or function pointers within the stack frame. This modification can redirect program execution to malicious code injected into the buffer or adjacent memory regions, effectively allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the user running the multimedia player. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that modern operating systems often execute multimedia applications with elevated privileges, particularly when dealing with media file processing. The vulnerability's impact is further amplified by its potential to be leveraged in conjunction with other attack techniques, as demonstrated in the MITRE ATT&CK framework where such vulnerabilities are categorized under T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, representing a common pathway for attackers to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within compromised systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-0498 extends beyond immediate system compromise to encompass broader security implications for organizations and individual users. For enterprise environments, this vulnerability presents a significant risk as it can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects not only individual user systems but also corporate multimedia servers, media distribution platforms, and any system that processes user-generated playlist files. Organizations using Nokia Multimedia Player in their workflows face potential data breaches, system outages, and service disruption when this vulnerability is exploited. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can target systems without requiring physical access, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with remote workers or distributed computing environments. Security teams must consider the implications of this vulnerability when conducting risk assessments and incident response planning, as the exploitation could lead to more sophisticated attacks involving privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper software patch management and input validation practices, as the issue could have been prevented through robust bounds checking and secure coding practices during the software development lifecycle. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling playlist file processing, applying vendor patches when available, and deploying network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The vulnerability's classification as a stack-based buffer overflow also necessitates regular security assessments of legacy multimedia applications to identify similar issues that may exist in other software components within the organization's technology stack.