CVE-2025-52293: GPAC MP4Box DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-52293 Overview

CVE-2025-52293 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in GPAC MP4Box version 2.4. The flaw resides in the gf_hevc_read_sps_bs_internal function within media_tools/av_parsers.c. Attackers can trigger a segmentation violation by supplying crafted High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) Sequence Parameter Set (SPS) data. Successful exploitation crashes the MP4Box process, resulting in service disruption. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-400] (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption). No authentication or user interaction is required to trigger the crash when MP4Box processes attacker-controlled media files.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can crash GPAC MP4Box v2.4 by supplying malformed HEVC SPS data, disrupting media processing workflows that rely on the utility.

Affected Products

GPAC MP4Box v2.4
GPAC media processing toolkit (HEVC parser component)
Workflows embedding the media_tools/av_parsers.c parser

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-09 - CVE-2025-52293 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-52293

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists inside gf_hevc_read_sps_bs_internal, the routine GPAC uses to parse HEVC SPS NAL units. When MP4Box ingests a crafted HEVC stream, the parser dereferences memory it should not access and the process terminates with a segmentation fault. The result is an availability impact only — confidentiality and integrity are not affected.

GPAC MP4Box is widely embedded in transcoding pipelines, video-on-demand workflows, and forensic media tools. A crash in batch processing environments can interrupt automated jobs and force operator intervention. Because the parser executes before any sanity checks complete, an attacker can deliver the malformed SPS through any channel that ultimately reaches MP4Box, such as upload portals, content ingestion APIs, or shared file stores.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of bitstream values read from the HEVC SPS structure. The parser trusts length and index fields supplied by the bitstream and proceeds to access memory based on those values. When the crafted SPS specifies values outside expected ranges, the function reads or computes pointers that fall outside allocated buffers. The resulting access violation aborts the process. This matches the [CWE-400] pattern where untrusted input drives resource consumption and unsafe state transitions inside a parser.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-reachable when MP4Box runs as part of a server-side media processing service. An attacker submits a media file containing a malformed HEVC SPS NAL unit. When the target invokes MP4Box on the file, the parser reaches the vulnerable code path and crashes. No privileges or user interaction are required. The vulnerability mechanism is described in the InfoSec Exchange Post referenced by the advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-52293

Indicators of Compromise

Repeated SIGSEGV terminations of MP4Box processes when handling user-supplied media
Core dumps referencing gf_hevc_read_sps_bs_internal or av_parsers.c in the stack trace
HEVC files containing SPS NAL units with out-of-range parameter values reaching ingestion endpoints

Detection Strategies

Monitor process exit codes and crash logs for MP4Box workers, alerting on segmentation faults
Inspect uploaded HEVC streams with a hardened parser before passing them to MP4Box
Correlate crash events with the source IP or account that submitted the triggering media file

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward MP4Box stderr and systemd journal entries to a centralized logging platform
Track parser crash frequency as a service health metric and trigger alerts on anomalies
Audit media ingestion APIs for repeated submissions of files that fail processing

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-52293

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all systems running GPAC MP4Box v2.4 and inventory exposed processing endpoints
Restrict MP4Box invocation to validated, authenticated submission channels until a patch is applied
Run MP4Box under a least-privilege service account with automatic restart to limit denial-of-service impact

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor patch identifier is referenced in the CVE record. Operators should monitor the GPAC project repository for fixes to media_tools/av_parsers.c and upgrade to a release that addresses the gf_hevc_read_sps_bs_internal crash. Consult the InfoSec Exchange Post for additional technical context.

Workarounds

Sandbox MP4Box execution using container isolation, seccomp, or AppArmor profiles to contain crashes
Pre-validate HEVC streams with an independent parser and reject files whose SPS fields exceed specification limits
Apply resource limits (ulimit, cgroups) so a crashing worker cannot starve the host of resources

bash

# Configuration example: run MP4Box with restricted privileges and resource caps
systemd-run --uid=mp4box --gid=mp4box \
  --property=MemoryMax=512M \
  --property=CPUQuota=50% \
  --property=Restart=on-failure \
  /usr/bin/MP4Box -info /input/untrusted.mp4