CVE-2026-56711

VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 memory corruption vulnerability

Published Sep 9, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 7.3 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
VLC media player versions 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 contain a memory-safety vulnerability reachable when processing crafted media. Exploitation requires user interaction and may result in application termination or code execution with the privileges of the VLC process.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4869-1 vlc security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6515-1 vlc security update
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description VLC media player computes the size of a picture buffer with 32-bit arithmetic and allocates from the wrapped result. In AllocatePicture in src/misc/picture.c the running total is accumulated as i_bytes += p->i_pitch * p->i_lines, and both plane_t fields are declared int in include/vlc_picture.h, so the multiplication is evaluated at 32 bits and wraps before it is widened to the size_t accumulator. The overflow check that precedes it divides in 64-bit arithmetic and therefore does not constrain the product, and the subsequent comparison against PICTURE_SW_SIZE_MAX examines the already wrapped value, so both guards pass. aligned_alloc then reserves the small wrapped size while the decoder writes scanlines sized from the original dimensions. A crafted PNG whose IHDR declares large width and height reaches this path through the image demuxer, whose only size guard is on the input file's byte count rather than the declared dimensions, and the decoder in modules/codec/png.c writes past the end of the allocation with attacker-influenced length and content. Opening the file directly or through a playlist entry is sufficient, with no non-default settings. VLC media player versions 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 contain a memory-safety vulnerability reachable when processing crafted media. Exploitation requires user interaction and may result in application termination or code execution with the privileges of the VLC process.
Title VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via Integer Overflow in Picture Allocation VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 memory corruption vulnerability
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.6, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 7.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description VLC media player computes the size of a picture buffer with 32-bit arithmetic and allocates from the wrapped result. In AllocatePicture in src/misc/picture.c the running total is accumulated as i_bytes += p->i_pitch * p->i_lines, and both plane_t fields are declared int in include/vlc_picture.h, so the multiplication is evaluated at 32 bits and wraps before it is widened to the size_t accumulator. The overflow check that precedes it divides in 64-bit arithmetic and therefore does not constrain the product, and the subsequent comparison against PICTURE_SW_SIZE_MAX examines the already wrapped value, so both guards pass. aligned_alloc then reserves the small wrapped size while the decoder writes scanlines sized from the original dimensions. A crafted PNG whose IHDR declares large width and height reaches this path through the image demuxer, whose only size guard is on the input file's byte count rather than the declared dimensions, and the decoder in modules/codec/png.c writes past the end of the allocation with attacker-influenced length and content. Opening the file directly or through a playlist entry is sufficient, with no non-default settings.
Title VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via Integer Overflow in Picture Allocation
First Time appeared Videolan
Videolan vlc Media Player
Weaknesses CWE-190
CWE-787
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:videolan:vlc_media_player:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Videolan
Videolan vlc Media Player
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.6, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
VulnCheck
Published
Updated
Sep 18, 2026, 5:23 PM
Reserved
Jun 22, 2026, 6:48 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Sep 9, 2026, 2:17 PM
Modified
Sep 18, 2026, 6:17 PM
Severity
Important
Public date
Sep 9, 2026, 1:31 PM