CVE-2026-2923 in GStreamer
Summary
by MITRE • 03/16/2026
GStreamer DVB Subtitles Out-Of-Bounds Write 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 coordinates. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-28838.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-2923 represents a critical out-of-bounds write flaw within the GStreamer multimedia framework's handling of DVB subtitles. This remote code execution vulnerability specifically targets the coordinate processing functionality within the subtitle parsing mechanism, where insufficient input validation allows maliciously crafted data to trigger memory corruption. The issue manifests when GStreamer processes DVB subtitle streams that contain malformed coordinate values, leading to buffer overflow conditions that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected process. The vulnerability was originally tracked as ZDI-CAN-28838, highlighting its significance within the cybersecurity community and its potential for widespread impact across systems utilizing GStreamer for multimedia processing.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking during the parsing of DVB subtitle coordinates, which falls under CWE-129 Input Validation and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write. When processing subtitle data, the GStreamer library fails to validate that coordinate values remain within expected ranges, allowing attackers to provide values that exceed allocated buffer boundaries. This lack of validation creates a predictable memory corruption scenario where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially including return addresses or function pointers. The vulnerability's remote exploitability requires that the target system process DVB subtitle streams through GStreamer, but the attack vectors can vary significantly depending on how the library is integrated into different applications and systems, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multimedia content can be sourced from untrusted networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass potential system compromise and denial of service conditions. Attackers leveraging this flaw can gain arbitrary code execution capabilities within the context of the GStreamer process, potentially leading to complete system compromise if the process runs with elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects installations where GStreamer is used for processing DVB subtitle streams, which includes broadcast systems, media players, streaming applications, and content management systems that handle digital television content. Given the widespread adoption of GStreamer across various platforms and applications, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to multimedia processing environments, particularly those that automatically process or display DVB subtitles from external sources without proper input sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2026-2923 should focus on immediate patch application from upstream GStreamer maintainers, as well as implementing defensive measures such as input validation at application layers that utilize GStreamer. Organizations should consider network segmentation to prevent untrusted multimedia content from reaching systems that process DVB subtitles, while also implementing proper access controls and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code through the compromised GStreamer process, and potentially T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution if the vulnerability is leveraged through compromised applications. Regular security assessments and monitoring for unusual process behavior or memory access patterns should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining updated threat intelligence regarding similar vulnerabilities in multimedia processing libraries to prevent cascading security issues across interconnected systems.