External risk intelligence

Heap Corruption Vulnerability in WebM Project Libvpx Component

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2023-5217

A vulnerability in the libvpx component could allow attackers to corrupt data via crafted web content. This impacts organizations using affected browsers or software, posing a risk of system instability and potential data compromise. Addressing this through vendor updates is recommended.

1Halo Surface Signal

Out-of-bounds Write

Webmproject Libvpx

before 1.13.1116.0.1938.98117.0.2045.47116.0.5845.229117.0.5938.132before 115.3.1before 118.0.1before 118.137383910.011.012.017.0 to before 17.0.316.7before 117.0.59...

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2023-5217

This vulnerability resides within a client-side media library (libvpx) used by web browsers and desktop applications. While it can be triggered by processing malicious content, the library itself is not a public-facing service, gateway, or network appliance. The risk is constrained to the client-side execution environment rather than an exposed server-side network service.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

The libvpx component, utilized in various applications including web browsers, contains a heap buffer overflow vulnerability. This flaw can permit a remote attacker to trigger heap corruption through specially crafted web content. Such an exploitation could lead to significant disruptions within affected systems.

  • Vulnerable vp8 encoding in libvpx
  • Heap buffer overflow weakness
  • Potential for data corruption and system instability

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability allows attackers to potentially cause heap corruption by presenting a specially crafted HTML page to an affected system. Successful exploitation could lead to a compromise of the application processing the media. The attack leverages a weakness in the VP8 encoding process within the libvpx library.

  • Exposure through a crafted HTML page.
  • Attacker provides a malicious web page.
  • Triggering heap corruption and impact.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

The identified vulnerability presents a significant risk due to its potential for remote exploitation via a crafted HTML page. This could lead to heap corruption, impacting system stability and potentially allowing for unauthorized access or data compromise. Organizations should consider this a high-priority issue requiring prompt attention.

  • Attackers with minimal skill could exploit this.
  • Access requires user interaction with malicious content.
  • High impact to systems and data.

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the libvpx component, specifically within the vp8 encoding, presents a risk of heap corruption. This vulnerability could be exploited through a crafted HTML page, potentially impacting organizations utilizing affected software. The high severity of this issue warrants prompt attention to mitigate business risk.

  • Identify assets using affected software.
  • Reduce exposure or isolate risk.
  • Apply vendor fixes and validate.
  • Monitor for related issues.

Frequently asked questions

What is the libvpx component and its role in video compression?

The libvpx component is a software library developed by the WebM Project. It provides reference implementations for VP8 and VP9 video compression and decompression. It's a crucial part of handling video on the web, used in browsers and other applications.

How does CVE-2023-5217 lead to heap corruption?

CVE-2023-5217 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the VP8 encoding process within the libvpx library. This occurs when specific video data is processed, causing more data to be written than the allocated memory buffer can hold, potentially overwriting adjacent memory and leading to heap corruption.

What is the attack vector for CVE-2023-5217?

The attack vector for CVE-2023-5217 is network-based. A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking a user into visiting a crafted HTML page that contains malicious content designed to trigger the heap corruption.

What is the relevance of CVE-2023-5217 to web browsers and other software?

CVE-2023-5217 affects multiple browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, as they rely on the libvpx library for video processing. Other applications that use libvpx, such as FFmpeg and Electron-based applications, are also vulnerable. Its critical severity and active exploitation make it a high-priority concern.

What actions should be taken to address CVE-2023-5217?

To address CVE-2023-5217, users should update affected software to the latest versions, such as Google Chrome to 117.0.5938.132 or later, and libvpx to 1.13.1 or later. Enabling strict browser security settings and applying vendor patches are also recommended.

References