CVE-2023-48039 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 11/20/2023
GPAC 2.3-DEV-rev617-g671976fcc-master is vulnerable to memory leak in gf_mpd_parse_string media_tools/mpd.c:75.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-48039 affects GPAC version 2.3-DEV-rev617-g671976fcc-master and represents a memory leak condition within the media_tools/mpd.c file at line 75. This issue occurs during the parsing of MPD (Media Presentation Description) strings which are fundamental components in dynamic adaptive streaming protocols such as MPEG-DASH. The memory leak manifests when the gf_mpd_parse_string function fails to properly release allocated memory resources during the processing of media presentation descriptions, leading to progressive memory consumption over time. This vulnerability specifically impacts the MPD parsing functionality that is essential for handling dynamic content delivery in multimedia streaming applications.
The technical flaw stems from improper memory management within the MPD parsing routine where allocated memory for string processing is not correctly deallocated after use. According to CWE-401, this represents a classic memory leak vulnerability where the application fails to release dynamically allocated memory blocks. The issue occurs in the media_tools/mpd.c module which is responsible for parsing and processing MPD files that describe multimedia content for adaptive streaming. When the gf_mpd_parse_string function processes MPD strings, it allocates memory for temporary storage but does not ensure proper cleanup, resulting in memory fragmentation and eventual system resource exhaustion. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in streaming applications where continuous processing of MPD files occurs.
The operational impact of this memory leak vulnerability extends beyond simple resource consumption issues. In production environments where GPAC is used for media streaming services, the progressive memory consumption can lead to system instability, performance degradation, and potential service outages. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability through crafted MPD files that trigger repeated memory allocation without proper deallocation, leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability affects applications that rely on GPAC for processing dynamic media content, including content delivery networks, streaming servers, and multimedia processing pipelines. According to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, this could be leveraged for resource exhaustion attacks that compromise system availability and performance.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-48039 should prioritize immediate patching of the GPAC library to version 2.3-DEV-rev617-g671976fcc-master or later where the memory leak has been addressed. System administrators should implement monitoring solutions to track memory consumption patterns in applications using GPAC, particularly those handling continuous MPD parsing operations. Temporary workarounds could include limiting the frequency of MPD file processing or implementing memory watchdog processes that can detect and restart affected services. Organizations should also consider implementing input validation for MPD files to prevent exploitation through malformed content, as recommended by CWE-170 for preventing memory-related issues. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar memory management issues in other components of the multimedia processing stack. The fix should ensure proper memory deallocation in the gf_mpd_parse_string function and include comprehensive testing to verify that all allocated memory blocks are correctly released during MPD string processing operations.