CVE-2019-20161 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in GPAC version 0.8.0 and 0.9.0-development-20191109. There is heap-based buffer overflow in the function ReadGF_IPMPX_WatermarkingInit() in odf/ipmpx_code.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20161 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within the GPAC multimedia framework version 0.8.0 and 0.9.0-development-20191109. This flaw exists in the ReadGF_IPMPX_WatermarkingInit() function located in the odf/ipmpx_code.c source file, which processes IPMPX (IPMP eXtension) watermarking initialization data. The issue arises when the application processes malformed or maliciously crafted IPMPX data structures that contain insufficient bounds checking during memory allocation and data copying operations. The buffer overflow occurs when the function attempts to copy data into a heap-allocated buffer without proper validation of the source data length against the allocated buffer size, creating a condition where arbitrary data can overwrite adjacent memory regions. This vulnerability falls under CWE-121 Heap-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a memory safety error that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it creates potential attack vectors for remote code execution within applications that utilize the GPAC framework for multimedia processing. Attackers could exploit this flaw by crafting specially formatted IPMPX watermarking data that triggers the vulnerable function when processing media files or streaming content. The heap-based nature of the overflow allows for more sophisticated exploitation techniques compared to stack-based counterparts, as attackers can manipulate heap metadata and pointers to achieve code execution. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript and T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code within the context of applications using the vulnerable GPAC library. The vulnerability affects systems that process multimedia content with watermarking features, including video players, streaming platforms, content management systems, and digital rights management applications that rely on GPAC for media processing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-20161 should prioritize immediate patching of affected GPAC versions to the latest stable releases that contain fixed implementations of the ReadGF_IPMPX_WatermarkingInit() function. Organizations should implement input validation measures to sanitize all IPMPX data before processing, including length checks and boundary validation for all buffer operations. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of systems that process multimedia content, particularly those handling untrusted input streams. Memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention should be enabled to reduce exploitability. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual memory allocation patterns or buffer overflow attempts during media processing operations. Regular security assessments of multimedia frameworks and libraries should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, with particular attention to buffer handling functions in multimedia processing code. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in multimedia processing libraries, as the exploitation of such flaws can compromise entire multimedia ecosystems and potentially lead to broader system compromise through code execution within media processing applications.