CVE-2025-65404: Live555 Streaming Media DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-65404 Overview

CVE-2025-65404 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the getSideInfo2() function of Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02. This medium-severity vulnerability allows remote attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition by sending a specially crafted MP3 stream to the affected application. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input).

Live555 is a widely-used open-source library that provides support for RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) servers and clients, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations utilizing streaming media infrastructure.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can crash Live555-based streaming servers by sending malicious MP3 streams, potentially disrupting critical media streaming services and infrastructure availability.

Affected Products

• Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02
• Applications and services built on Live555 Streaming Media library v2018.09.02
• RTSP servers and clients utilizing vulnerable Live555 versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-01 - CVE-2025-65404 published to NVD
• 2025-12-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-65404

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the getSideInfo2() function within the Live555 Streaming Media library. This function is responsible for parsing side information from MP3 audio streams during the media processing pipeline. The buffer overflow occurs due to insufficient bounds checking when processing MP3 frame data, specifically within the side information extraction routine.

With a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 (MEDIUM) and vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, the vulnerability presents the following characteristics:

The EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) data indicates a probability of 0.049% with a percentile ranking of 15.332, suggesting relatively low exploitation likelihood at present.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-65404 is a classic buffer overflow condition (CWE-120: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input). The getSideInfo2() function fails to properly validate the size of incoming MP3 stream data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. When processing a maliciously crafted MP3 stream with oversized side information fields, the function writes beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption.

This type of vulnerability typically occurs when:

• Input length validation is missing or inadequate
• Fixed-size buffers are used without boundary checks
• Memory copy operations proceed without verifying destination capacity

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Crafting a malicious MP3 stream with manipulated side information headers that exceed expected buffer sizes
2. Delivering the crafted stream to a Live555-based server or client through various means (direct connection, embedded media, or malicious links)
3. When the victim's application processes the malicious stream, the getSideInfo2() function triggers a buffer overflow
4. The memory corruption causes the application to crash, resulting in a Denial of Service condition

The attack can be delivered through any interface that accepts MP3 streams, including RTSP connections, HTTP streaming endpoints, or file-based media playback scenarios.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-65404

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or service interruptions in Live555-based streaming applications
• Crash dumps indicating memory corruption in MP3 parsing routines or getSideInfo2() function
• Anomalous MP3 streams with malformed side information headers in network traffic
• Application logs showing segmentation faults or buffer overflow errors during media processing

Detection Strategies

Network-Based Detection:
Organizations should implement deep packet inspection for streaming media traffic to identify malformed MP3 streams. Look for MP3 frames with abnormally large side information fields or inconsistent header values that deviate from the MP3 specification.

Host-Based Detection:
Monitor Live555-based applications for signs of instability including:

• Process crashes with memory access violations
• Abnormal memory consumption patterns during MP3 processing
• Stack corruption indicators in crash analysis

SentinelOne Singularity Platform:
SentinelOne provides behavioral AI-based detection that can identify exploitation attempts targeting buffer overflow vulnerabilities. The platform monitors for:

• Anomalous process behavior indicative of memory corruption
• Crash patterns consistent with buffer overflow attacks
• Suspicious network activity associated with malformed media streams

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement continuous monitoring of Live555-based services with alerting for:

• Service availability and uptime metrics
• Application crash events and core dump generation
• Network traffic anomalies targeting streaming endpoints
• Memory utilization spikes during media processing operations

Deploy application performance monitoring (APM) solutions to establish baseline behavior and detect deviations that may indicate exploitation attempts.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-65404

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all systems running Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02 or applications built on this library version
• Implement network-level filtering to restrict access to streaming services from untrusted sources
• Consider temporarily disabling MP3 stream processing if feasible for your environment
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring for streaming media services
• Deploy SentinelOne agents on systems running vulnerable Live555 implementations for real-time threat detection

Patch Information

Organizations should check the Live555 project repository for updated versions that address this vulnerability. Review the following resources for patch availability and additional technical details:

• GitHub Repository:https://github.com/rgaufman/live555
• Technical Advisory:https://shimo.im/docs/16q8xMxpPlH8Z2q7

Upgrade to the latest stable version of Live555 Streaming Media that includes the security fix for the getSideInfo2() buffer overflow. Ensure thorough testing in a staging environment before deploying updates to production systems.

Workarounds

If immediate patching is not feasible, consider the following temporary mitigations:

Network Segmentation:
Isolate Live555-based streaming services from untrusted network segments. Implement strict firewall rules to limit which sources can send media streams to vulnerable services.

Input Filtering:
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) or media proxy that validates MP3 streams before they reach the vulnerable application. Filter or reject streams with anomalous characteristics.

Access Controls:
Implement authentication requirements for streaming endpoints to reduce the attack surface. Restrict access to known, trusted media sources only.

Resource Limits:
Configure resource limits and process isolation using containers or sandboxing technologies to contain the impact of potential exploitation.

# Example: Restrict network access to Live555 service using iptables
# Allow only trusted IP ranges to connect to RTSP port (554)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 554 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 554 -s 192.168.0.0/16 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 554 -j DROP

# Enable connection rate limiting to reduce DoS impact
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 554 -m connlimit --connlimit-above 10 -j REJECT