CVE-2023-42298 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
An issue in GPAC GPAC v.2.2.1 and before allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via the Q_DecCoordOnUnitSphere function of file src/bifs/unquantize.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42298 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the GPAC media processing library version 2.2.1 and earlier. This issue specifically targets the Q_DecCoordOnUnitSphere function located in the src/bifs/unquantize.c source file, which forms part of the broader GPAC framework used for multimedia content processing and streaming. The affected system components handle coordinate transformations and quantization operations essential for 3D graphics and multimedia rendering within the GPAC ecosystem.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and handling within the Q_DecCoordOnUnitSphere function, which processes coordinate data during the decoding of BIFS (Binary Interchange Format) content. When a local attacker provides malformed or specially crafted input data to this function, the processing routine fails to properly validate the coordinate values, leading to a system crash or complete denial of service condition. This vulnerability operates at the software level within the media processing pipeline, specifically affecting the unquantization phase where compressed coordinate data is converted back to its original representation. The flaw stems from a lack of robust boundary checking and input sanitization, allowing the function to process invalid coordinate values that cause memory corruption or execution termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it provides a local attacker with a reliable method to compromise the stability of systems utilizing GPAC for multimedia processing. Any application or service that depends on GPAC for handling BIFS content, including media players, streaming servers, or content authoring tools, becomes vulnerable to this attack vector. The local nature of the exploit means that an attacker must already have access to the system, but this limitation does not mitigate the severity of the impact. The vulnerability affects systems running vulnerable GPAC versions across multiple platforms, making it particularly concerning for environments where GPAC is used as a core component in multimedia workflows, including content delivery networks, multimedia applications, and embedded systems processing 3D graphics.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-42298 primarily focus on immediate version updates to GPAC 2.2.2 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the input validation issues in the Q_DecCoordOnUnitSphere function. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the patched versions across all affected systems, particularly those handling multimedia content processing. Additionally, implementing input validation layers at the application level can provide defense-in-depth measures, though the primary fix must come from updating the core GPAC library. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses insufficient input validation, and may be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring for unusual process termination patterns and memory access violations that could indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potential weaknesses in their multimedia processing pipelines.