CVE-2023-4755 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2023
Use After Free in GitHub repository gpac/gpac prior to 2.3-DEV.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as use after free in the gpac/gpac repository represents a critical memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution when processing malformed media files. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.3-DEV and stems from improper memory management during the handling of media objects within the GPAC multimedia framework. The flaw occurs when the software attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a condition where attackers can manipulate the program flow by controlling the freed memory location. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses use after free conditions in software implementations. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious media files that, when processed by the vulnerable GPAC library, trigger the use after free scenario during memory deallocation operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the GPAC multimedia framework's handling of various media formats including mp4, 3gp, and other container formats that rely on the library's internal memory management systems. When the software processes these files, it allocates memory for parsing and storing media metadata, but fails to properly validate the lifecycle of these memory regions before subsequent operations. The issue manifests when the program deallocates memory blocks that are subsequently accessed by other code paths, particularly during error handling or when processing corrupted media streams. This memory corruption can be exploited by attackers who craft specially formatted media files designed to trigger the specific memory deallocation pattern that leads to the use after free condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides attackers with potential paths to achieve remote code execution within the context of the application using the GPAC library. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of GPAC, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects any application that integrates the GPAC multimedia framework, including media players, streaming servers, and content management systems. The risk is particularly high in environments where users can upload or process untrusted media content, as this creates ideal conditions for exploitation through malicious file uploads or network-based attacks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving memory corruption and privilege escalation, with potential TTPs including execution through compromised media processing pipelines and lateral movement through compromised multimedia applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems to version 2.3-DEV or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of the vulnerable software are updated promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation for media files, deploying sandboxing mechanisms for media processing, and using memory safety tools such as address sanitizer or heap analysis utilities during development and testing phases. Network-based mitigations can involve content filtering and media file validation before processing, while application-level protections should enforce proper memory management practices and implement robust error handling that prevents access to freed memory regions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and code reviews focusing on memory management patterns, particularly in multimedia processing libraries that handle untrusted input data. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and maintain detailed logging of media processing activities for forensic analysis purposes.