CVE-2020-16158
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-16158 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in GoPro's GPMF parser library (gpmf-parser) that allows out-of-bounds writes when parsing malicious GPMF data. Successful exploitation could lead to denial of service, arbitrary code execution, or system compromise. This affects any application or device using vulnerable versions of the gpmf-parser library to process GoPro media files.
💻 Affected Systems
- GoPro gpmf-parser library
- Applications using gpmf-parser
- Devices/software processing GoPro media files
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the application using the library, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) when processing specially crafted media files.
If Mitigated
Application crash with no further impact if proper sandboxing/privilege separation is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code is publicly available. Exploitation requires the target to process a malicious media file.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.5.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/gopro/gpmf-parser/security/advisories
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update gpmf-parser to version 1.5.1 or later. 2. Rebuild any applications using the library. 3. Restart affected services/applications.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation/sanitization
allImplement strict validation of GPMF input files before processing
Sandbox media processing
allRun media processing in isolated containers or sandboxes with minimal privileges
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems using vulnerable library
- Deploy application allowlisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if applications use gpmf-parser version ≤1.5. Review dependency manifests or library versions.Check Version:
Check library version in build configuration or dependency files (e.g., package.json, requirements.txt, CMakeLists.txt)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify gpmf-parser version is ≥1.5.1 and applications have been rebuilt with the updated library.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when processing media files
- Segmentation faults in media processing components
- Abnormal memory access patterns
Network Indicators:
- Uploads/downloads of GoPro media files to vulnerable systems
SIEM Query:
Application:gpmf-parser AND (EventType:Crash OR Exception:SegmentationFault)🔗 References
- https://blog.inhq.net/posts/gopro-gpmf-parser-vuln-1/
- https://github.com/gopro/gpmf-parser/blob/2cc0af7ffee6f12934e2d57750bdf292f62b0a97/GPMF_parser.c#L950-L954
- https://blog.inhq.net/posts/gopro-gpmf-parser-vuln-1/
- https://github.com/gopro/gpmf-parser/blob/2cc0af7ffee6f12934e2d57750bdf292f62b0a97/GPMF_parser.c#L950-L954
