CVE-2022-24577 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2022
GPAC 1.0.1 is affected by a NULL pointer dereference in gf_utf8_wcslen ().
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-24577 affects GPAC version 1.0.1 and stems from a NULL pointer dereference within the gf_utf8_wcslen function. This issue represents a classic memory safety flaw that can potentially lead to application crashes or system instability when processing malformed input data. The vulnerability occurs during UTF-8 string length calculation operations, where the function fails to properly validate input parameters before attempting to dereference a pointer that may be NULL. Such a condition typically arises when developers assume certain input validation has been performed or when error handling logic is insufficient to prevent execution flow into invalid memory access patterns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in defensive programming practices where the gf_utf8_wcslen function does not adequately check for NULL input parameters before proceeding with string processing operations. This type of flaw falls under the broader category of CWE-476_NULL_Pointer_Dereference, which specifically addresses situations where a null pointer is dereferenced during program execution. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in multimedia processing contexts where GPAC is commonly used for handling various media formats and codecs, as it could be exploited through malformed media files or crafted input data that triggers the problematic code path during UTF-8 string processing operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability could enable denial of service attacks against systems running affected GPAC versions, potentially causing applications to crash or become unresponsive when processing specific input data. The impact extends beyond simple application instability as it could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt services in environments where GPAC is integrated into multimedia processing pipelines, content delivery networks, or media server applications. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when considering that many multimedia applications rely on proper UTF-8 string handling for processing metadata, subtitles, or other text-based content within media files.
Security practitioners should prioritize updating affected systems to GPAC versions that contain patches addressing this NULL pointer dereference issue. The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of the vendor-supplied security update that includes proper input validation and error handling within the gf_utf8_wcslen function. Additionally, implementing defensive programming practices such as input sanitization, parameter validation, and comprehensive error handling should be enforced throughout the application codebase. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running vulnerable GPAC versions, particularly in environments where untrusted media content is processed. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203_Access_The_Filesystem, as it could potentially enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources through service disruption or by exploiting the application crash to execute additional malicious code in the system memory space.