CVE-2018-20502 in Bento4
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Bento4 1.5.1-627. There is an attempt at excessive memory allocation in the AP4_DataBuffer class when called from AP4_HvccAtom::Create in Core/Ap4HvccAtom.cpp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20502 resides within the Bento4 multimedia framework version 1.5.1-627, specifically manifesting in the AP4_DataBuffer class implementation. This issue represents a memory allocation flaw that occurs during the processing of HEVC (H.265) video metadata within the AP4_HvccAtom::Create function located in Core/Ap4HvccAtom.cpp. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with a resource exhaustion vulnerability where the system attempts to allocate memory beyond reasonable or expected limits, potentially leading to system instability or denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the HEVC atom parsing logic. When the AP4_HvccAtom::Create function processes certain malformed or crafted input data, it triggers an excessive memory allocation request through the AP4_DataBuffer class. This behavior violates standard memory management practices and can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious HEVC metadata streams. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-772 category of "Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Network Denial of Service" through resource exhaustion attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within multimedia processing environments. Systems utilizing Bento4 for video content processing, streaming, or transcoding operations become vulnerable when processing untrusted HEVC metadata. Attackers could exploit this weakness by feeding specially crafted HEVC atom data that triggers the excessive memory allocation path, potentially causing applications to crash or consume excessive system resources. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in server environments where multimedia processing occurs, as it could be leveraged for resource exhaustion attacks against streaming services or content management systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-20502 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Bento4 installations to version 1.5.1-628 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the memory allocation logic. Organizations should implement input validation and sanitization measures for all HEVC metadata processing pipelines, including rate limiting and memory monitoring for multimedia processing applications. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit exposure of systems processing multimedia content, while implementing automated monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of multimedia processing frameworks and adherence to secure coding practices should be maintained to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future implementations.