CVE-2024-46461 in VLC Media Player
Summary
by MITRE • 09/25/2024
VLC media player 3.0.20 and earlier is vulnerable to denial of service through an integer overflow which could be triggered with a maliciously crafted mms stream (heap based overflow). If successful, a malicious third party could trigger either a crash of VLC or an arbitrary code execution with the target user's privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-46461 represents a critical security flaw in VLC media player versions 3.0.20 and earlier, specifically targeting the application's handling of malformed mms streams. This issue manifests as an integer overflow condition that occurs within the heap memory management system when processing specially crafted multimedia streaming protocols. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and boundary checking mechanisms within the media parser component responsible for interpreting mms (Microsoft Media Server) stream formats. Attackers can exploit this weakness by constructing malicious mms streams that contain oversized or malformed data structures, which when processed by the vulnerable VLC client, trigger the integer overflow condition.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, specifically manifesting as a heap-based buffer overflow. When VLC attempts to allocate memory for processing the malicious mms stream, the integer overflow causes the application to miscalculate the required memory allocation size, leading to insufficient buffer allocation or memory corruption. This memory corruption can occur at multiple points within the application's memory management system, potentially affecting heap metadata, adjacent memory regions, or critical program structures. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through passive content delivery, meaning users do not need to actively initiate playback of malicious content - simply having the vulnerable VLC player open and encountering such streams could lead to exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass potential arbitrary code execution capabilities. When successfully exploited, the integer overflow can cause the VLC application to crash unpredictably or more dangerously, allow attackers to inject and execute malicious code with the privileges of the targeted user. This represents a significant escalation from basic denial of service to full system compromise, as the attacker could potentially gain unauthorized access to the victim's system, access sensitive data, or establish persistent footholds within the network environment. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that mms streams are commonly encountered in various network environments, including corporate networks, public Wi-Fi hotspots, and email attachments, making it a potentially widespread threat vector.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including updating to VLC version 3.0.21 or later, which contains patches addressing the integer overflow conditions in the mms stream handling code. Network administrators should consider implementing content filtering measures to block or quarantine mms streams from untrusted sources, particularly in environments where users may encounter unknown or unverified media content. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of opening media files from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping media applications updated. Organizations should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can monitor for abnormal memory allocation patterns and potential heap corruption indicators that may signal exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in multimedia applications, particularly those handling network-based streaming protocols where malformed data can originate from external sources beyond the user's control.