CVE-2025-0753: Axiosys Bento4 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0753 Overview

CVE-2025-0753 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Axiomatic Bento4 through version 1.6.0. The flaw resides in the AP4_StdcFileByteStream::ReadPartial function within the mp42aac component. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability remotely by supplying a malformed media file, and public exploit details are already available. The issue is tracked under [CWE-119] and [CWE-787], covering improper restriction of operations within memory buffers and out-of-bounds write conditions.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger memory corruption in mp42aac by supplying a crafted input file, potentially leading to process compromise or denial of service.

Affected Products

Axiomatic Systems Bento4 versions up to and including 1.6.0
mp42aac command-line utility shipped with Bento4
Downstream applications embedding the Bento4 library for MP4/AAC processing

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-27 - CVE-2025-0753 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0753

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects Bento4, an open-source C++ toolkit for parsing and processing MP4 and DASH/HLS media containers. The defect exists in AP4_StdcFileByteStream::ReadPartial, a routine used to read bytes from a file stream backed by the C standard I/O library. When invoked by the mp42aac conversion tool, the function fails to properly validate buffer boundaries during partial reads, resulting in a heap-based buffer overflow.

The attack vector is network-reachable because Bento4 is frequently integrated into pipelines that ingest untrusted media files from remote sources. Exploitation requires no authentication or user interaction beyond processing the malicious file. The exploit has been disclosed publicly through the project's GitHub issue tracker, lowering the barrier for weaponization.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper bounds enforcement inside AP4_StdcFileByteStream::ReadPartial when handling short or malformed reads from a crafted MP4 stream. Memory adjacent to the target heap buffer can be overwritten, corrupting heap metadata and neighboring objects. This falls under [CWE-787] (Out-of-bounds Write) and the broader [CWE-119] category.

Attack Vector

An attacker delivers a specially crafted MP4 file to any workflow that invokes mp42aac or a linked Bento4 library. The file's structure triggers the flawed read path, producing an out-of-bounds heap write. Consumers processing user-uploaded media, transcoding services, and media analysis pipelines are the most exposed surfaces. Technical reproduction seeds are attached to the public GitHub Issue #991.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0753

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes, aborts, or heap corruption messages from mp42aac or applications linking libAP4
Presence of anomalous MP4 files sourced from untrusted uploads or external feeds that trigger process termination
Sample seed archives originating from the public GitHub File Attachment

Detection Strategies

Inventory hosts and container images running Bento4 1.6.0 or earlier, including embedded uses inside media processing services
Enable AddressSanitizer or heap hardening in test builds to surface out-of-bounds writes in AP4_StdcFileByteStream::ReadPartial
Alert on mp42aac process exits with signals indicative of memory corruption, such as SIGSEGV or SIGABRT

Monitoring Recommendations

Log and review all invocations of mp42aac with file paths and originating user context
Monitor media ingestion pipelines for repeated parser failures on files from the same source
Correlate crash telemetry with file hashes to identify malicious samples across the environment

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0753

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict mp42aac execution to trusted, validated inputs and remove it from paths that process untrusted uploads
Sandbox Bento4 processing in isolated containers or with seccomp and non-root users to contain memory corruption
Review third-party media services and SDKs for embedded Bento4 versions and remediate accordingly

Patch Information

At the time of the last NVD update, no official fixed release has been referenced in the advisory. Track the upstream discussion in GitHub Issue #991 and the VulDB entry #293518 for remediation updates from Axiomatic Systems. Rebuild Bento4 from the latest main branch once a fix commit is merged.

Workarounds

Reject or quarantine MP4 files from untrusted sources before invoking mp42aac
Perform structural validation of MP4 atoms with a hardened parser prior to conversion
Run Bento4 utilities under memory-safe wrappers or virtualized workers that can be recycled on crash

bash

# Configuration example: run mp42aac inside a restricted sandbox
firejail --noprofile --private --net=none --caps.drop=all \
  --seccomp --nonewprivs --read-only=/usr \
  mp42aac /input/untrusted.mp4 /output/audio.aac