CVE-2023-2837 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2023
Stack-based Buffer Overflow in GitHub repository gpac/gpac prior to 2.2.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2837 represents a stack-based buffer overflow flaw discovered in the gpac/gpac repository prior to version 2.2.2. This issue resides within the General Purpose Audio Codec library implementation that serves as a core component for multimedia processing and playback functionality. The buffer overflow vulnerability manifests when the application processes malformed or specially crafted input data through its audio processing pipeline, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the stack memory allocation routines used by the gpac library during audio frame processing. When the library encounters input data that exceeds predetermined buffer limits, the overflow occurs in the stack memory region, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations including return addresses and control data. This flaw aligns with CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite stack data. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with the attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under T1059.007 for command and script injection techniques that exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it presents significant risks to system security and stability. An attacker could potentially leverage this buffer overflow to execute arbitrary code within the context of the affected application, leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize gpac for multimedia processing, particularly those handling untrusted audio content such as media players, streaming applications, and content management systems. The exploitation potential increases when the library is used in server-side applications or embedded systems where privilege escalation opportunities may exist.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2837 should prioritize immediate patching of affected gpac installations to version 2.2.2 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and memory management improvements. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms to prevent malformed data from reaching the vulnerable code paths, while also considering runtime protections such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts targeting multimedia processing components. Additionally, system administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all gpac-dependent applications and ensure that proper access controls and privilege separation mechanisms are implemented to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.