CVE-2023-3012 – A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in GPA... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-3012?

CVE-2023-3012 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in GPAC multimedia framework allows attackers to cause denial of service (crash) by exploiting improper handling of certain media files. This affects all systems running GPAC versions prior to 2.2.2, particularly those processing untrusted media content.

📋 TL;DR

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in GPAC multimedia framework allows attackers to cause denial of service (crash) by exploiting improper handling of certain media files. This affects all systems running GPAC versions prior to 2.2.2, particularly those processing untrusted media content.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

GPAC (GPAC Project on Advanced Content)

Versions: All versions prior to 2.2.2

Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerable in default configurations when processing media files. Applications using GPAC libraries are also affected.

📦 What is this software?

Gpac by Gpac

View all CVEs affecting Gpac →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete application crash leading to denial of service, potentially disrupting media processing services or applications using GPAC libraries.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash when processing maliciously crafted media files, causing service disruption.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation and sandboxing, though crashes may still occur.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Exploitable if processing user-uploaded media files, but requires specific file processing.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - Typically requires local file access or specific media processing workflows.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires crafting a malicious media file that triggers the NULL pointer dereference. Public proof-of-concept exists in commit references.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.2.2 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/gpac/gpac/commit/53387aa86c1af1228d0fa57c67f9c7330716d5a7

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download GPAC 2.2.2 or later from official repository. 2. Compile and install following standard build procedures. 3. Restart any services or applications using GPAC libraries.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Input Validation

all

Implement strict input validation for media files before processing with GPAC.

Sandbox Processing

linux

Run GPAC media processing in isolated containers or sandboxes to limit crash impact.

docker run --rm -v /path/to/media:/media gpac:latest

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict processing of untrusted media files
Implement monitoring and automatic restart for GPAC processes

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check GPAC version with 'gpac -version' or 'MP4Box -version' and verify if below 2.2.2.

Check Version:

gpac -version 2>&1 | head -1

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 2.2.2 or higher and test with known malicious media files that previously caused crashes.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Segmentation fault
NULL pointer dereference
GPAC crash logs
Application termination without error

Network Indicators:

Unusual media file uploads followed by service disruption

SIEM Query:

source="application.log" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "null pointer" OR "gpac crash")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-3012

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-476

Published: May 31, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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