CVE-2025-65406 Overview
CVE-2025-65406 is a heap overflow vulnerability affecting Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02. The vulnerability exists in the MatroskaFile::createRTPSinkForTrackNumber() function and can be exploited by attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition. Exploitation requires an attacker to supply a specially crafted MKV (Matroska) file to the vulnerable application, triggering the heap overflow during media file processing.
Live555 is a widely-used open-source multimedia streaming library that provides support for various streaming protocols including RTSP, RTP, and RTCP. The library is commonly integrated into media servers, surveillance systems, and streaming applications, making this vulnerability potentially impactful across a range of deployments.
Critical Impact
Attackers can cause service disruption by exploiting the heap overflow in the MatroskaFile processing function, leading to application crashes and Denial of Service conditions affecting media streaming services.
Affected Products
- Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02
- Applications and systems integrating the vulnerable Live555 library version
- Media streaming servers and surveillance systems using affected Live555 components
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-01 - CVE-2025-65406 published to NVD
- 2025-12-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-65406
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow). The heap overflow occurs within the MatroskaFile::createRTPSinkForTrackNumber() function when processing Matroska (MKV) media files. The function fails to properly validate input boundaries when handling track number data from MKV files, allowing an attacker to overflow heap-allocated memory buffers.
The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 (MEDIUM) with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Key characteristics include:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack Vector | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low |
| Privileges Required | None |
| User Interaction | Required |
| Confidentiality Impact | None |
| Integrity Impact | None |
| Availability Impact | High |
The EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score is 0.049% with a percentile ranking of 15.332, indicating a relatively low probability of exploitation in the wild.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the MatroskaFile::createRTPSinkForTrackNumber() function. When parsing MKV file structures, the function does not adequately verify the size and boundaries of data being processed from the Matroska container format. This allows specially crafted MKV files to supply malicious data that exceeds the allocated heap buffer size, resulting in a heap-based buffer overflow condition.
The Matroska container format uses a hierarchical structure with EBML (Extensible Binary Meta Language) encoding. The vulnerable function processes track information within this structure but fails to implement sufficient bounds checking on track-related data elements.
Attack Vector
The attack vector for CVE-2025-65406 is network-based with user interaction required. An attacker must craft a malicious MKV file containing carefully constructed data designed to trigger the heap overflow when processed by the vulnerable function.
The exploitation scenario typically involves:
- An attacker creates a specially crafted MKV file with malformed track data
- The malicious file is delivered to a victim system running the vulnerable Live555 library
- When the application processes the MKV file, the MatroskaFile::createRTPSinkForTrackNumber() function is invoked
- The function processes the malformed track data without proper bounds validation
- The heap overflow occurs, causing memory corruption and subsequent application crash
The vulnerability is particularly concerning for media streaming servers that accept and process user-uploaded media files or stream content from untrusted sources.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-65406
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes or restarts of media streaming services using Live555
- Segmentation faults or memory corruption errors in application logs related to MKV file processing
- Presence of unusually structured or malformed MKV files in upload directories or content streams
Detection Strategies
Organizations can detect potential exploitation attempts through several methods:
Application Monitoring: Monitor Live555-based applications for abnormal crash patterns, particularly those occurring during MKV file processing. Repeated crashes with similar stack traces pointing to MatroskaFile::createRTPSinkForTrackNumber() may indicate exploitation attempts.
Memory Analysis: Implement heap integrity monitoring to detect heap corruption events. Tools like AddressSanitizer (ASan) can be used in development and testing environments to identify heap overflow conditions.
Network Traffic Analysis: Monitor for suspicious MKV file uploads or streaming requests that may contain malformed data. Anomaly detection systems can flag unusually structured media files.
Log Analysis: Review application and system logs for error messages related to memory allocation failures, heap corruption, or segmentation faults during media file processing operations.
Monitoring Recommendations
Security teams should implement continuous monitoring for applications using the Live555 library. Configure alerting for application crashes and memory-related errors in streaming services. Implement file integrity monitoring on systems that process media content to detect potentially malicious uploads. Consider deploying application-level firewalls or content inspection systems that can analyze media file structures before they reach vulnerable processing functions.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-65406
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all systems and applications using Live555 Streaming Media v2018.09.02
- Upgrade to the latest patched version of Live555 Streaming Media library
- Implement input validation for MKV files before processing through Live555 functions
- Consider restricting MKV file processing to trusted sources until patches are applied
Patch Information
Organizations should update their Live555 installations to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability. The official Live555 source code can be reviewed at the GitHub repository. Check vendor documentation and security advisories for specific patch releases that address CVE-2025-65406.
For applications that embed Live555, coordinate with application vendors to obtain updated versions that include the patched library. Verify that all dependent applications are updated to use the corrected library version.
Workarounds
If immediate patching is not possible, organizations can implement the following temporary mitigations:
Input Filtering: Implement pre-processing validation of MKV files before they are passed to Live555 functions. Use media validation tools to check file structure integrity.
Access Controls: Restrict MKV file processing to authenticated and authorized users only. Limit the sources from which media files can be accepted.
Network Segmentation: Isolate media streaming servers from critical network segments. Implement strict firewall rules to control access to streaming services.
Resource Limits: Configure process resource limits to prevent a single crashed process from affecting overall system stability. Use process supervision tools to automatically restart crashed services while logging incidents for investigation.
Consult the technical advisory for additional details on the vulnerability and mitigation strategies.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
