CVE-2013-4388 in VLC Media Player
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the mp4a packetizer (modules/packetizer/mpeg4audio.c) in VideoLAN VLC Media Player before 2.0.8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4388 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the mp4a packetizer component of VideoLAN VLC Media Player version 2.0.7 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically resides in the modules/packetizer/mpeg4audio.c file, which processes audio data in the MPEG-4 audio format. The flaw manifests when the application encounters specially crafted media files or streams that trigger improper memory handling during the packetization process of mp4a audio data. Such buffer overflows occur when the application writes more data to a fixed-length memory buffer than it can accommodate, potentially leading to memory corruption and unpredictable behavior.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables remote attackers to manipulate the memory layout of the VLC Media Player process through crafted input streams. When the packetizer processes malformed mp4a audio data, the buffer overflow can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, or other critical program state information. This memory corruption can result in immediate application crashes or, in more sophisticated attack scenarios, enable arbitrary code execution within the context of the running VLC process. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning as it affects the core packetization functionality that handles media stream processing, making it accessible through various media delivery methods including network streams, local files, or embedded media content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to users who rely on VLC Media Player for media playback across various platforms including desktop computers, mobile devices, and embedded systems. The denial of service aspect can be exploited to disrupt media playback services, while the potential for arbitrary code execution opens pathways for more severe attacks including system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can potentially target users without requiring physical access to the affected systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where media players are frequently used for content consumption.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflows depending on the specific memory allocation patterns. The attack surface extends across multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script interpreter usage and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of VLC Media Player installations to version 2.0.8 or later, where the buffer overflow has been addressed through proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to media streaming services, deploying application whitelisting policies, and monitoring for unusual application crash patterns or unexpected memory access behaviors that could indicate exploitation attempts.