CVE-2026-102296 in ZoneMinder
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2026
ZoneMinder before 1.38.4 contains static buffer overflow vulnerabilities in RemoteCameraHttp::GetResponse() that allow malicious HTTP cameras or intercepting attackers to overflow fixed-size buffers by sending oversized response headers. Attackers can send crafted HTTP responses with oversized status messages, Connection headers, Content-Type values, or multipart boundaries to corrupt parser state and crash the capture process or corrupt memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2026
The vulnerability identified in ZoneMinder versions prior to 1.38.4 represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper input validation within the RemoteCameraHttp::GetResponse() function. This component is responsible for parsing HTTP responses from remote camera sources, which are integral to the video surveillance workflow managed by the software. The core technical issue lies in the use of fixed-size buffers that lack adequate bounds checking when processing incoming data. Specifically, the parser does not verify whether the length of headers such as status messages, Connection directives, Content-Type values, or multipart boundaries exceeds the allocated memory space before copying them into these static buffers. This architectural oversight creates a classic buffer overflow condition where an attacker can write beyond the intended limits of the memory allocation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability allows malicious actors to exploit the parsing logic by sending crafted HTTP responses with oversized fields. Since ZoneMinder often communicates with IP cameras over networks that may not be fully trusted or secured, an attacker positioned on the network path could intercept and modify traffic, or a compromised camera itself could serve as the vector for exploitation. By injecting excessively long header values, the attacker triggers memory corruption within the capture process. The immediate consequence of this memory overwrite is typically a denial of service, manifested as a crash in the ZoneMinder capture daemon. However, depending on the specific compiler optimizations and runtime environment, such buffer overflows can also lead to arbitrary code execution if an attacker carefully crafts the overflow payload to overwrite return addresses or function pointers within the process memory space.
This flaw aligns with CWE-120, which classifies buffer copies without checking size limits as a fundamental software error leading to buffer overflows. Furthermore, in the context of attack tactics and techniques, this vulnerability facilitates exploitation through MITRE ATT&CK technique T1557, specifically Adversary-in-the-Middle (AitM), where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties to inject malicious payloads. The ability to corrupt parser state highlights a failure in implementing robust input validation mechanisms for external data sources, which is a common pitfall in systems that aggregate video feeds from diverse and potentially untrusted hardware vendors.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running ZoneMinder must upgrade immediately to version 1.38.4 or later, where the developers have implemented proper length checks and safer string handling functions within the HTTP response parser. In environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, network segmentation strategies should be employed to restrict access to remote camera endpoints from untrusted networks. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying anomalous HTTP header sizes in traffic destined for ZoneMinder servers can provide an additional layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Regular security audits focusing on input validation practices are recommended to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components that process external data streams.