CVE-2016-10191 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in libavformat/rtmppkt.c in FFmpeg before 2.8.10, 3.0.x before 3.0.5, 3.1.x before 3.1.6, and 3.2.x before 3.2.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by leveraging failure to check for RTMP packet size mismatches.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10191 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the FFmpeg multimedia framework, specifically affecting the libavformat/rtmpppkt.c component. This flaw exists in multiple versions of FFmpeg including 2.8.10 and earlier, 3.0.5 and earlier, 3.1.6 and earlier, and 3.2.2 and earlier releases. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of RTMP packet size parameters during the processing of Real-Time Messaging Protocol streams, creating a condition where maliciously crafted RTMP packets can trigger memory corruption. The root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, where the application fails to properly verify the size of data being copied into heap-allocated buffers, leading to potential memory overwrite conditions that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when FFmpeg processes RTMP packets without adequate size validation checks, allowing attackers to craft packets with oversized data payloads that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries. When the application attempts to copy this malformed data into heap-allocated memory regions, it overflows the buffer and potentially corrupts adjacent memory locations, including stack canaries, return addresses, or other critical program data structures. This memory corruption can be leveraged to redirect program execution flow through techniques such as return-oriented programming or direct code injection, enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of FFmpeg. The vulnerability specifically impacts the RTMP protocol handling functionality, making it particularly dangerous in environments where FFmpeg processes untrusted RTMP streams from external sources.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10191 extends across numerous applications and systems that utilize FFmpeg for multimedia processing, including content delivery networks, streaming servers, media processing pipelines, and multimedia applications. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending specially crafted RTMP packets to vulnerable systems, potentially compromising servers, media processing nodes, or applications that rely on FFmpeg for video and audio stream handling. The vulnerability affects systems where FFmpeg is used to process RTMP streams from potentially malicious sources, making it particularly dangerous in broadcast environments, live streaming platforms, or content management systems that handle user-generated multimedia content. The exploitation can result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or denial of service conditions depending on the specific implementation and target environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10191 primarily focus on upgrading to patched versions of FFmpeg where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input validation and buffer size checking mechanisms. System administrators should immediately update all installations of FFmpeg to versions 2.8.10, 3.0.5, 3.1.6, or 3.2.2 respectively, depending on their current version. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level filtering to restrict RTMP traffic from untrusted sources, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious RTMP packet patterns, and applying application-level sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring and memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention to reduce the effectiveness of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in multimedia processing libraries and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, as successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution within the application context.