CVE-2020-13558 in WebKitGTK
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2021
A code execution vulnerability exists in the AudioSourceProviderGStreamer functionality of Webkit WebKitGTK 2.30.1. A specially crafted web page can lead to a use after free.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-13558 represents a critical code execution flaw within the WebKit WebKitGTK 2.30.1 browser engine implementation. This issue specifically affects the AudioSourceProviderGStreamer component which handles audio processing functionality within the web rendering environment. The vulnerability manifests through a use-after-free condition that occurs when malicious web content attempts to manipulate audio source providers, creating a scenario where freed memory locations are accessed beyond their intended lifecycle. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous as they can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected browser process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the GStreamer audio processing pipeline integrated into WebKitGTK. When a web page triggers the AudioSourceProviderGStreamer functionality with crafted malicious input, the system fails to properly validate or manage the lifecycle of audio resource objects. This results in a situation where memory allocated to audio processing components is freed while still being referenced by active code paths, creating a use-after-free condition. According to CWE-416, this vulnerability maps directly to the use-after-free class of memory corruption issues where software attempts to access memory after it has been freed. The flaw exists in the interaction between the web rendering engine and the underlying multimedia framework, specifically in how audio resources are allocated, managed, and released during web page execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-13558 extends beyond simple browser exploitation as it represents a significant attack surface that could enable remote code execution on systems running affected WebKitGTK versions. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability through drive-by downloads, malicious websites, or compromised web content to gain unauthorized access to user systems. The vulnerability affects all applications built on WebKitGTK 2.30.1, including web browsers, email clients, and other applications that utilize the WebKit rendering engine for web content display. This makes the attack vector particularly broad and dangerous as users could be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or viewing compromised web content. The attack requires no user interaction beyond normal web browsing, making it highly dangerous in real-world scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-13558 should focus on immediate patching of affected WebKitGTK installations to version 2.30.2 or later where the memory management issues have been addressed. Organizations should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains. Browser hardening measures including sandboxing, privilege separation, and strict content security policies should be enabled to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual memory access patterns or process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving remote code execution through browser exploitation and memory corruption attacks. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be implemented to maintain protection against similar issues in the web rendering stack, as memory corruption vulnerabilities often indicate broader architectural weaknesses that may require additional security controls beyond the immediate patch.