CVE-2026-1416 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2026
A security flaw has been discovered in GPAC up to 2.4.0. Affected by this vulnerability is the function DumpMovieInfo of the file applications/mp4box/filedump.c. The manipulation results in null pointer dereference. The attack must be initiated from a local position. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks. The patch is identified as d45c264c20addf0c1cc05124ede33f8ffa800e68. It is advisable to implement a patch to correct this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-1416 represents a critical null pointer dereference flaw within the GPAC multimedia framework version 2.4.0 and earlier. This security weakness resides specifically within the DumpMovieInfo function located in the applications/mp4box/filedump.c source file, making it a targeted attack surface for local privilege escalation and system compromise. The flaw occurs when the application processes multimedia files and attempts to dump movie information, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to exploit the software's handling of uninitialized memory references. The vulnerability's classification as a local attack vector means that exploitation requires physical or administrative access to the target system, though this limitation does not diminish its potential impact on system integrity and security posture.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the multimedia processing pipeline of GPAC. When the DumpMovieInfo function encounters certain malformed or improperly structured multimedia files, it fails to properly initialize memory pointers before attempting to dereference them, leading to a program crash or potential code execution. This null pointer dereference condition falls under the CWE-476 weakness category, which specifically addresses null pointer dereference vulnerabilities that can result in denial of service or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is heightened by the fact that a public exploit has been released, indicating that threat actors have already developed working attack vectors against this flaw.
The operational impact of CVE-2026-1416 extends beyond simple system instability, as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the local environment. An attacker with local access could potentially use this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the GPAC application, which may run with elevated permissions depending on system configuration. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that GPAC is widely used for multimedia processing, streaming, and content creation tasks across various platforms including desktop systems, mobile devices, and embedded environments. The vulnerability's presence in a core multimedia framework means that exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within networked environments where GPAC is deployed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2026-1416 should prioritize immediate patch application using the identified fix referenced as d45c264c20addf0c1cc05124ede33f8ffa800e68. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected GPAC versions and implement remediation procedures across their infrastructure. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted multimedia files, deploying runtime application protection mechanisms, and establishing monitoring protocols to detect suspicious file processing activities. The ATT&CK framework's T1203 technique for exploitation of remote services and T1059 command and scripting interpreter categories may be relevant for threat detection, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or escalate privileges. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and privilege separation to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.