CVE-2023-51792 in libde265
Summary
by MITRE • 04/19/2024
Buffer Overflow vulnerability in libde265 v1.0.12 allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service via the allocation size exceeding the maximum supported size of 0x10000000000.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-51792 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the libde265 library version 1.0.12 which is widely used for decoding h.265/HEVC video streams. This library serves as a fundamental component in numerous multimedia applications, video processing systems, and streaming platforms that require h.265 video decompression capabilities. The flaw manifests when the library processes malformed video data that triggers an improper memory allocation calculation, leading to a situation where the requested buffer size exceeds the maximum supported allocation limit of 0x10000000000 bytes or approximately 64 gigabytes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the libde265 library implementation. When processing specific video frames or sequences, the library fails to properly constrain the memory allocation parameters, allowing an attacker to craft malicious video content that forces the system to attempt allocating memory blocks that surpass the system's maximum supported allocation size. This condition creates a scenario where the memory allocator encounters an overflow condition that cannot be properly handled by the library's internal memory management routines. The vulnerability operates at the boundary of memory allocation limits and represents a classic case of integer overflow or arithmetic overflow in memory allocation calculations, which aligns with CWE-190 - Integer Overflow or Wraparound and CWE-129 - Improper Validation of Array Index.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that rely on libde265 for video processing, particularly in environments where untrusted video content is processed. A local attacker who can influence the video input to a system using libde265 can trigger a denial of service condition that effectively crashes the application or causes it to become unresponsive. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes as the vulnerability can potentially lead to system instability, resource exhaustion, and in some cases may provide a pathway for further exploitation if the system's memory management is not properly protected. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the foundational video decoding libraries that are integral to multimedia applications across multiple platforms and operating systems.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from system administrators and software maintainers. The primary and most effective solution involves updating to a patched version of libde265 that properly validates memory allocation parameters and implements appropriate bounds checking to prevent allocation sizes from exceeding system limits. Organizations should also implement input validation measures that filter or reject suspicious video content before it reaches the libde265 processing layer. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing memory limits and resource controls to prevent unbounded memory allocation attempts from consuming system resources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and input validation in security-critical libraries, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service and emphasizing the need for robust memory safety practices in multimedia processing libraries. Regular security audits of third-party libraries and maintaining up-to-date software dependencies remain critical defensive measures against such vulnerabilities.