CVE-2026-79514 in GPAC
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2026
An out-of-bounds read in the gf_dm_data_received function (downloader.c) of GPAC v26.07.0 allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via sending a crafted HTTP request. Fixed in 2fd5a06ab226767900fd86edb5a1e8bfc1010640.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as an out-of-bounds read within the GPAC media framework represents a critical memory safety flaw located in the downloader component, specifically within the gf_dm_data_received function found in the downloader.c source file. This issue affects version 26.07.0 and earlier iterations of the software suite. The root cause lies in insufficient boundary checks when processing incoming data streams via HTTP requests. When a malicious actor sends a specially crafted HTTP request containing malformed or excessively long headers, body content, or specific control sequences, the function fails to validate that the memory indices being accessed remain within the allocated buffer limits. This lack of validation allows the application to read from memory locations adjacent to the intended data structure, leading to an out-of-bounds read condition.
From a technical perspective, this flaw is classified under CWE-125, which denotes Out-of-Bounds Read vulnerabilities. The exploitation mechanism relies on triggering undefined behavior within the C runtime environment of GPAC. While out-of-bounds reads are often associated with information disclosure, in many media processing contexts involving complex parsing logic, they can also lead to application crashes or instability if the accessed memory contains unexpected values that disrupt subsequent control flow decisions. In this specific instance, the primary impact observed is a Denial of Service (DoS). An attacker who can interact with the GPAC downloader service over HTTP can cause the process to terminate unexpectedly by inducing a segmentation fault or triggering an assertion failure within the library. This effectively renders the media processing capabilities unavailable until the service is restarted, disrupting any dependent workflows that rely on continuous streaming or file downloading operations facilitated by GPAC.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability. For environments where GPAC is deployed as a backend service for content delivery, live stream ingestion, or automated media conversion pipelines, an attacker can exploit this flaw to create persistent availability issues. By repeatedly sending crafted HTTP requests that trigger the out-of-bounds read condition, an adversary can exhaust system resources through frequent process restarts or cause significant latency spikes if the application attempts recovery without proper state management. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498, Network Denial of Service, as it involves disrupting network services by exploiting software vulnerabilities to degrade performance or availability rather than directly compromising confidentiality or integrity in this specific manifestation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading the GPAC installation to a version that includes the fix committed under hash 2fd5a06ab226767900fd86edb5a1e8bfc1010640. This patch introduces proper bounds checking logic within the gf_dm_data_received function, ensuring that all memory accesses are validated against the allocated buffer size before execution proceeds. In scenarios where immediate upgrading is not feasible due to dependency constraints or testing requirements, network-level mitigations should be implemented. Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules capable of detecting anomalous HTTP request patterns associated with buffer overflow attempts can provide an additional layer of defense. Additionally, restricting access to the GPAC downloader interface to trusted IP ranges and enforcing strict input validation at the application gateway level can reduce the attack surface exposed to potential exploitation vectors. Regular security audits focusing on memory safety in C-based media frameworks are recommended to identify similar vulnerabilities before they reach production environments.