CVE-2026-2921 in GStreamer
Summary
by MITRE • 03/16/2026
GStreamer RIFF Palette Integer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GStreamer. Interaction with this library is required to exploit this vulnerability but attack vectors may vary depending on the implementation.
The specific flaw exists within the handling of palette data in AVI files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in an integer overflow before writing to memory. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-28854.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2026
The CVE-2026-2921 vulnerability represents a critical integer overflow flaw in the GStreamer multimedia framework that specifically affects the handling of palette data within AVI file format processing. This vulnerability resides in the RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format) parser component of GStreamer, which is widely used across various operating systems and applications for multimedia processing. The flaw manifests when the library processes malformed palette entries in AVI files, creating a condition where integer arithmetic operations exceed their maximum representable values. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability was identified and tracked as ZDI-CAN-28854, highlighting its significance in the cybersecurity community.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs during the parsing of AVI file headers where the application reads palette color count values without adequate validation. When an attacker crafts a malicious AVI file containing oversized palette data, the integer overflow occurs during the calculation of memory allocation sizes or buffer boundaries. This overflow condition creates a scenario where subsequent memory operations write beyond intended buffer limits, potentially corrupting adjacent memory regions or overwriting critical program structures. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond the simple act of opening or processing a malicious file through a GStreamer-dependent application. This characteristic places it in the ATT&CK framework under T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation through process injection, and T1059, which involves execution through command and scripting interpreters.
The operational impact of CVE-2026-2921 extends across numerous platforms and applications that utilize GStreamer for multimedia processing, including but not limited to desktop applications, media players, web browsers, and server-side multimedia processing systems. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely through various vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with untrusted multimedia content. The vulnerability's remote execution capability means that successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected process. This could result in data theft, system monitoring, privilege escalation to administrator level access, or deployment of additional malware. The integer overflow condition creates a memory corruption scenario that is highly predictable and exploitable, often enabling attackers to achieve reliable code execution without requiring sophisticated exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2026-2921 should focus on immediate patch deployment from upstream GStreamer maintainers, as well as implementing defensive measures such as input validation, sandboxing of multimedia processing components, and network-level filtering of potentially malicious file types. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected GStreamer installations and monitor for any exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis or endpoint detection systems. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw necessitates layered security approaches including web application firewalls, email security gateways, and regular security assessments of multimedia processing pipelines. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing principle of least privilege configurations for applications that process multimedia content, limiting the potential impact of successful exploitation. The remediation process should also include thorough testing of patches in controlled environments to ensure compatibility with existing applications while addressing the integer overflow condition through proper input validation and bounds checking mechanisms.