CVE-2019-7697 in Bento4
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Bento4 v1.5.1-627. There is an assertion failure in AP4_AtomListWriter::Action in Core/Ap4Atom.cpp, leading to a denial of service (program crash), as demonstrated by mp42hls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-7697 resides within the Bento4 multimedia framework version 1.5.1-627, specifically affecting the AP4_AtomListWriter::Action function located in Core/Ap4Atom.cpp. This issue represents a critical assertion failure that occurs during the processing of mp42hls tool functionality, which is commonly used for converting mp4 files to HLS format. The assertion failure manifests as an immediate program crash, effectively causing a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from utilizing the affected software for its intended purpose.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the atom list processing mechanism of the Bento4 library. When the AP4_AtomListWriter::Action function encounters malformed or unexpected input data structures, it fails to properly handle the exceptional condition and instead triggers an assertion that terminates the executing process. This behavior violates fundamental software engineering principles of graceful error handling and demonstrates a classic example of improper exception management that can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt service availability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on Bento4 for multimedia processing workflows. The denial of service condition can be triggered by simply providing maliciously crafted mp4 files to the mp42hls tool, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated processing pipelines exist. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the multimedia framework, potentially disrupting content delivery systems, streaming services, and digital media processing operations that depend on the affected software components. Security practitioners should note that this issue falls under CWE-617, which specifically addresses reachable assertions, a category of vulnerabilities that can lead to program termination and system availability disruption.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to denial of service attacks and service disruption. Attackers can leverage this flaw to systematically crash processing servers or applications that utilize the Bento4 library, potentially leading to cascading failures in content delivery networks or media processing pipelines. Organizations using affected versions of Bento4 should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader security posture assessment, particularly in environments where multimedia processing is critical to business operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the Bento4 library to version 1.5.1-628 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the assertion failure. Additionally, organizations should implement input validation measures that sanitize all mp4 files before processing, particularly in automated workflows where untrusted input may be present. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect abnormal crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime protections or sandboxing mechanisms for multimedia processing applications to limit the impact of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust error handling in multimedia frameworks and the critical need for comprehensive testing of edge cases in file format processing libraries.