CVE-2020-19720 in Bento
Summary
by MITRE • 07/14/2021
An unhandled memory allocation failure in Core/AP4IkmsAtom.cpp of Bento 1.5.1-628 causes a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a denial of service (DOS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-19720 represents a critical memory management flaw within the Bento 1.5.1-628 media processing framework, specifically within the Core/AP4IkmsAtom.cpp component. This issue manifests as an unhandled memory allocation failure that ultimately results in a NULL pointer dereference condition. The flaw occurs during the processing of media files when the system attempts to allocate memory for handling IKMS atoms, which are essential components in media container formats used for content protection and key management. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper error handling in memory allocation routines, where the application fails to check for allocation failures before proceeding with subsequent operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure to properly validate memory allocation outcomes within the AP4IkmsAtom.cpp file, which is part of the Advanced Programming Interface for Bento4 media processing. When memory allocation fails, the system returns a NULL pointer instead of the expected memory block, yet the application continues execution without checking for this condition. This leads to a subsequent NULL pointer dereference when the application attempts to access or manipulate the memory location that was never properly allocated. The flaw specifically affects the handling of key management atoms within media containers, which are used to store cryptographic keys and protection information for media content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant denial of service condition that can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt media processing services. The NULL pointer dereference causes the application to crash or terminate unexpectedly, effectively preventing legitimate users from processing media files through the affected Bento framework. This denial of service can be particularly impactful in environments where media processing services are critical, such as content delivery networks, streaming platforms, or media processing pipelines. The vulnerability can be triggered by specially crafted media files containing malformed IKMS atoms, making it possible for an attacker to remotely cause service disruption without requiring authentication or elevated privileges.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, and demonstrates poor error handling practices that violate secure coding principles. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, where an adversary seeks to disrupt services through resource exhaustion or application crashes. The flaw also relates to the broader category of memory safety issues that fall under T1588.002 for the development of malicious code, as it represents a fundamental programming error that could be exploited to compromise system availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the Bento 4 framework to version 1.5.1-629 or later, which contains the necessary memory allocation error handling fixes. Organizations should also implement input validation measures to sanitize media files before processing, particularly focusing on IKMS atom structures. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for abnormal application termination patterns and implementing proper error handling logging can help detect exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing application sandboxing or containerization to limit the impact of potential exploitation, ensuring that a single application crash does not compromise the entire media processing infrastructure. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust memory management practices and proper error handling in security-critical applications, particularly those handling multimedia content where malformed inputs are common.