Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2023-33476

Critical · 9.8

CVSS

9.8

EPSS

2.1%

Published

Jun 2, 2023

CISA due date

—

Cloudanix analysis

Next patch cycle SSVC: Track

A flaw in popular media server software lets remote attackers take over or crash the system by sending specially formatted web requests, potentially exposing personal media files or disrupting home streaming.

Exploit Available
Exploitation
Remote Unauthenticated
Attacker needs
None
Complexity
Low
Impact
Full Compromise
Component
Network Service
Class
Memory Corruption
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

Incorrect validation of chunk sizes in HTTP requests using chunked transfer encoding allows attacker-controlled values to exceed allocated buffer lengths, causing out-of-bounds read and write operations in memory.

Why it matters to the business

Remote attackers can crash media streaming servers or execute arbitrary code, leading to service outages, unauthorized access to media libraries, and potential lateral movement in home or small-office networks where this software is commonly deployed.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker sends a specially crafted HTTP request using chunked transfer encoding with oversized or malformed chunk lengths; the server fails to bound-check these values before later operations, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution given the public exploit availability.

How to fix it

Upgrade ReadyMedia/MiniDLNA to a version newer than 1.3.2 that contains the fix; if no official fixed release is available, consider replacing the software with a maintained alternative or applying vendor patches; restrict network access to the service and disable unnecessary HTTP features such as chunked encoding where possible.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the installed version is newer than 1.3.2; re-test the service with controlled chunked HTTP requests to confirm absence of the overflow condition; monitor process memory behavior under load for signs of corruption.

Typical attack path

  1. Craft and send HTTP request with invalid chunked encoding lengths over the network
  2. Trigger buffer overflow during request parsing in the affected MiniDLNA process
  3. Overwrite adjacent memory structures to achieve arbitrary code execution or denial of service

How to detect it

Inspect web server or application logs for HTTP requests containing chunked transfer encoding with unusually large or malformed chunk sizes; correlate with process crashes or unexpected memory usage in the MiniDLNA daemon.

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize upgrade or replacement of affected MiniDLNA instances due to remote unauthenticated exploit availability
  • Segment or firewall the media server to limit exposure to trusted networks only
  • Implement network-level detection for anomalous chunked HTTP traffic targeting the service

The record

ReadyMedia (MiniDLNA) versions from 1.1.15 up to 1.3.2 is vulnerable to Buffer Overflow. The vulnerability is caused by incorrect validation logic when handling HTTP requests using chunked transport encoding. This results in other code later using attacker-controlled chunk values that exceed the length of the allocated buffer, resulting in out-of-bounds read/write.

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Debian:10 minidlna 0 1.2.1+dfsg-2+deb10u4
Debian:11 minidlna 0 1.3.0+dfsg-2+deb11u2
Debian:12 minidlna 0 1.3.0+dfsg-2.2+deb12u1
Debian:13 minidlna 0 1.3.2+dfsg-1.1
Mageia:8 minidlna 0 1.3.3-1.mga8
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP5 minidlna 0 1.3.3-bp155.2.3.1
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS minidlna 0 1.2.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.20.04.2
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS minidlna 0 1.3.0+dfsg-2.1ubuntu0.1
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS minidlna 0 1.1.5+dfsg-2ubuntu0.1+esm1
Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS minidlna 0 1.2.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5 minidlna 0 1.3.3-bp155.2.3.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweed minidlna 0 1.3.3-2.1

Related vulnerabilities