CVE-2017-16952 in KMPlayer
Summary
by MITRE
KMPlayer 4.2.2.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted NSV file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2025
CVE-2017-16952 represents a denial of service vulnerability affecting KMPlayer version 4.2.2.4 through remote exploitation via maliciously crafted NSV media files. This vulnerability resides within the media player's handling of Network Streaming Video format files, which are commonly used for streaming multimedia content over network connections. The flaw manifests when the player processes specially constructed NSV files that contain malformed data structures or excessive resource allocations that trigger unexpected behavior in the application's parsing mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of buffer overflows and memory corruption issues that have been systematically catalogued under CWE-121, which describes conditions where insufficient space allocation leads to buffer overflows during data processing operations. The attack vector operates through remote delivery of the malicious NSV file, typically via email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites that entice users to open the file with KMPlayer. When the vulnerable player attempts to parse the crafted file, it fails to properly validate the input data structure, leading to application instability and subsequent crash or complete system hang. The operational impact extends beyond simple service interruption as this vulnerability could potentially be leveraged in more sophisticated attacks where the denial of service serves as a precursor to additional exploitation attempts. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which focuses on network denial of service attacks, and T1203 which covers exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or cause system instability. The vulnerability's remote nature makes it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access or user interaction beyond opening the malicious file, though social engineering may be employed to convince users to execute the payload. Security researchers have noted that this type of vulnerability often stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within media player applications, where developers assume that input files will conform to expected specifications without proper sanitization checks. The NSV format's complexity and the player's insufficient error handling capabilities create an environment where malformed data can cascade into system-wide failures. Organizations using KMPlayer should consider immediate mitigation through software updates or patches provided by the vendor, as well as network-level filtering to prevent automatic execution of NSV files from untrusted sources. Additionally, user education regarding the dangers of opening unknown media files and implementing strict access controls on media player applications can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the critical need for robust input validation and memory management practices in multimedia applications, particularly those handling network-based streaming protocols where external data sources cannot be trusted. This type of flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign media playback functionality can become a vector for system compromise when proper security controls are not implemented. The lack of proper bounds checking in the player's NSV parser creates a dangerous condition where any attacker with knowledge of the format can craft payloads that will cause the application to fail in predictable ways, potentially leading to broader system instability or serving as a foundation for more advanced attack vectors.