CVE-2023-2840 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2023
NULL Pointer Dereference 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-2023-2840 represents a critical null pointer dereference flaw within the gpac multimedia framework repository. This issue affects versions prior to 2.2.2 and stems from improper input validation during media processing operations. The vulnerability manifests when the software attempts to access a memory location through a null pointer reference, which occurs during specific parsing operations of multimedia files. The flaw exists in the core media handling components of the gpac library, which is widely used for multimedia processing and streaming applications. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which is classified as a fundamental programming error that can lead to system instability and potential exploitation. The vulnerability was discovered in the context of multimedia file processing where the application fails to properly validate pointer references before dereferencing them.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the gpac library processes malformed or specially crafted multimedia files that trigger an execution path where a pointer variable remains uninitialized or explicitly set to NULL. During the media decoding process, the software attempts to call methods or access properties of an object through this null reference, causing an immediate crash of the application. This behavior constitutes a denial of service condition that can be triggered remotely through malicious media file uploads or streaming scenarios. The flaw is particularly concerning because gpac is used in various multimedia applications including video streaming platforms, media servers, and content delivery networks that process user-generated content. The null pointer dereference occurs in the context of multimedia parser routines that handle various codecs and file formats, making the attack surface quite broad across different media processing scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-2840 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. While the immediate effect is a denial of service that can disrupt media processing services, the vulnerability could be leveraged in combination with other flaws to achieve arbitrary code execution in certain environments. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by uploading or streaming specially crafted media files that trigger the null pointer dereference during parsing operations. This vulnerability affects systems that rely on gpac for media processing, including web applications, content management systems, and streaming servers. The impact is particularly severe in environments where automated media processing is enabled, as attackers can cause cascading failures across multiple services. Organizations using gpac in production environments face significant risk of service disruption and potential data availability issues. The vulnerability's exploitation can be automated and does not require specialized knowledge, making it a particularly dangerous flaw in widely deployed software components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-2840 primarily focus on upgrading to the patched version 2.2.2 or later, which contains proper null pointer validation and handling routines. System administrators should prioritize patching all affected installations and monitor for any exploitation attempts in their network traffic. Additional protective measures include implementing input validation for all multimedia file uploads, deploying network segmentation to limit exposure, and establishing robust monitoring for application crashes or unexpected service disruptions. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for media processing operations and regularly reviewing their media handling code for similar null pointer dereference patterns. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management and input validation in multimedia processing libraries, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate credential use and T1499 for network denial of service. Security teams should also implement automated vulnerability scanning to identify other potentially vulnerable components within their multimedia processing pipelines and ensure comprehensive testing of input validation routines in all media handling code.