CVE-2023-4683 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 08/31/2023
NULL Pointer Dereference in GitHub repository gpac/gpac prior to 2.3-DEV.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
A null pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the gpac media processing library prior to version 2.3-DEV, representing a critical security flaw that can lead to application crashes and potential remote code execution. This vulnerability manifests when the software attempts to access memory through a null pointer reference during media file processing operations. The flaw occurs in the handling of malformed or specially crafted media files that trigger unexpected code paths within the gpac library's media parsing routines. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious media files designed to trigger the null pointer dereference condition during normal playback or processing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the gpac library's failure to properly validate input data before attempting to dereference pointers in its media processing pipeline. When processing certain media containers or streams, the software does not adequately check for null return values from memory allocation functions or parsing operations, leading to a scenario where a null pointer is accessed and causes the application to terminate abruptly. This behavior aligns with CWE-476 which specifically addresses null pointer dereference conditions in software implementations. The vulnerability affects the library's ability to handle various media formats including mp4, mov, and other container formats that gpac supports for multimedia processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. When exploited, the null pointer dereference can cause denial of service conditions that disrupt media processing services or applications that depend on gpac for multimedia handling. In environments where gpac is integrated into larger systems such as streaming servers, content management platforms, or multimedia applications, this vulnerability can be leveraged to create persistent availability issues. The attack surface is broad since gpac is widely used in various multimedia applications, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to disrupt services or potentially escalate privileges through controlled crashes that might expose underlying memory corruption issues.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected gpac installations to version 2.3-DEV or later, which contains the necessary code fixes to properly handle null pointer conditions during media processing. Organizations should also implement input validation measures to sanitize media files before processing, particularly in environments where user-uploaded content is processed. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of systems running gpac to untrusted media sources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper error handling and input validation practices, which are fundamental requirements in secure software development. Security monitoring should include detection of abnormal application termination patterns and crash reports that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive testing of media processing libraries against malformed inputs and adherence to security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices.