CVE-2013-6933 in Streaming Media
Summary
by MITRE
The parseRTSPRequestString function in Live Networks Live555 Streaming Media 2011.08.13 through 2013.11.25, as used in VideoLAN VLC Media Player, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a (1) space or (2) tab character at the beginning of an RTSP message, which triggers an integer underflow, infinite loop, and buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6933 represents a critical security flaw within the Live555 streaming media library version range 2011.08.13 through 2013.11.25, which was widely adopted by various media players including VideoLAN VLC Media Player. This issue stems from improper input validation within the parseRTSPRequestString function, which processes Real Time Streaming Protocol messages that are fundamental to multimedia streaming operations. The flaw specifically manifests when RTSP messages contain space or tab characters at their beginning, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to compromise system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a sophisticated chain of memory corruption issues that begin with the initial parsing of malformed RTSP requests. When the parseRTSPRequestString function encounters a space or tab character at the start of an RTSP message, it triggers an integer underflow condition within the internal processing logic. This underflow creates a cascade of memory management failures that can lead to an infinite loop within the application's execution flow. The subsequent memory corruption results in a buffer overflow condition that fundamentally compromises the application's memory layout and execution context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to media processing systems that rely on Live555 for RTSP protocol handling. The denial of service condition can cause applications to crash and terminate unexpectedly, while the potential for arbitrary code execution creates a pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized control over affected systems. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can trigger these conditions without physical access to the target systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where media streaming services are exposed to external traffic. The integer underflow and buffer overflow conditions align with common software security weaknesses classified under CWE-190 for integer overflow/underflow and CWE-121 for stack-based buffer overflow, representing fundamental memory safety issues that have been consistently identified in software security assessments.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable full system compromise, as demonstrated by the potential for arbitrary code execution. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute malicious payloads within the context of the vulnerable media player application, potentially leading to complete system takeover. The vulnerability's presence in widely-used software like VLC Media Player creates a substantial attack surface that could affect millions of users worldwide. Organizations implementing network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should prioritize detection of RTSP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be triggered through normal streaming protocol interactions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6933 require immediate software updates to versions that address the parsing logic flaws within Live555 library components. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable media streaming services to untrusted networks, while also deploying input validation controls to filter RTSP messages before they reach vulnerable applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution technique, emphasizing the need for robust application sandboxing and privilege separation. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all systems that utilize Live555-based streaming components, ensuring that all affected versions have been properly patched and updated to prevent exploitation attempts that could lead to more severe security incidents.