CVE-2019-20170 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in GPAC version 0.8.0 and 0.9.0-development-20191109. There is an invalid pointer dereference in the function GF_IPMPX_AUTH_Delete() in odf/ipmpx_code.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-20170 represents a critical memory safety issue within the GPAC multimedia framework, specifically affecting versions 0.8.0 and 0.9.0-development-20191109. This flaw manifests as an invalid pointer dereference in the GF_IPMPX_AUTH_Delete() function located within the odf/ipmpx_code.c source file, exposing the software to potential denial of service conditions and arbitrary code execution risks. The GPAC project serves as a comprehensive multimedia framework implementing various open standards includingmpeg-4 and 3gpp specifications, making it a widely used component in media processing applications across multiple platforms and devices.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the IPMPX (IPMP eXtension) authentication deletion routine. When the GF_IPMPX_AUTH_Delete() function processes certain input parameters or state conditions, it attempts to dereference a pointer that has either been freed previously or was never properly initialized. This invalid pointer dereference constitutes a classic software bug pattern that falls under CWE-476, which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereferences and related memory access violations. The flaw occurs during the cleanup phase of IPMPX authentication objects, suggesting that the vulnerability may be triggered when the system attempts to destroy or remove authentication contexts under specific error conditions or malformed input scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, potentially enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of GPAC. When an invalid pointer is dereferenced, the application may crash with a segmentation fault or access memory locations that were not intended for access, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate program execution flow. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multimedia processing environments where GPAC is often used for handling untrusted media content, as attackers could craft malicious media files or streams that trigger the vulnerable code path. The vulnerability's presence in both stable and development versions indicates a persistent issue in the codebase that affects users across different deployment scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-20170 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that have patched the memory management issue in the GF_IPMPX_AUTH_Delete() function. System administrators and developers should implement comprehensive input validation for all media processing operations involving GPAC components, particularly those handling IPMPX authentication data. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and input sanitization in multimedia frameworks, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1499.004 for network denial of service. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to mitigate potential exploitation attempts, while monitoring for unusual process behavior or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits of multimedia processing libraries and frameworks remain essential to identify similar memory safety vulnerabilities that could compromise system integrity and availability.