VideoLAN VLC media player 2.2.x is prone to a use after free vulnerability which an attacker can leverage to execute arbitrary code via crafted MKV files. Failed exploit attempts will likely result in denial of service conditions.
Weakness
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory “belongs” to the code that operates on the new pointer.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian_linux | Debian | 9.0 (including) | 9.0 (including) |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | artful | * |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | esm-apps/xenial | * |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | trusty/esm | * |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
| Vlc | Ubuntu | xenial | * |
Potential Mitigations
References
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Jul/28
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041311
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4251
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45626/
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Jul/28
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1041311
- https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4251
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45626/