CVE-2023-37329
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedGStreamer SRT File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GStreamer. Interaction with this library is required to exploit this vulnerability but attack vectors may vary depending on the implementation. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of SRT subtitle files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20968.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in GStreamer's SRT subtitle file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying to a heap buffer. This allows remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process by crafting malicious SRT files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.20.7>= 1.22.0, < 1.22.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed GStreamer core versionRun `gst-inspect-1.0 --version` or check your system package manager for gstreamer version (e.g., `dpkg -l | grep gstreamer` on Debian-based systems, `rpm -qa | grep gstreamer` on RHEL-based)Affected if The version is below 1.20.7, or is 1.22.0 through 1.22.3 (versions 1.20.7 through 1.21.x and 1.22.4+ are NOT affected)
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Determine if SRT subtitle parsing is in useSearch your application's code or pipeline configuration for use of the 'srtparse' element or SRT file handling; inspect active GStreamer pipelines with `gst-inspect-1.0 subtitle` to see if SRT support is loadedAffected if SRT parsing is actively used and the GStreamer version falls within the affected ranges above
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Check for processing of untrusted SRT filesAudit your application or system for locations where SRT subtitle files are loaded from untrusted or external sources; review file upload handlers, media processing workflows, or web applications that accept subtitle filesAffected if Your environment processes SRT files from untrusted sources and uses a vulnerable GStreamer version
You are affected if GStreamer version is below 1.20.7 or between 1.22.0-1.22.3 AND your environment parses SRT subtitle files, especially from untrusted sources.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.20.71.22.4
Update GStreamer to a patched version when available. Until then, avoid processing untrusted SRT subtitle files and disable SRT parsing in untrusted contexts.
GStreamer 1.22.4 or later (or 1.20.7 for the 1.20 branch)
- Check the current GStreamer version installed on the system using the package manager or gst-inspect version command
- Upgrade GStreamer to version 1.22.4 or later, or to version 1.20.7 if staying on the 1.20 branch
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version
- Restart any applications that use GStreamer to ensure they load the patched library
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-37329 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-37329 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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