CVE-2026-73324

VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 information disclosure vulnerability

Published Sep 9, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 5.3 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed

Description

Certain VLC media player builds in versions 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 contain a memory-safety vulnerability reachable when processing media from an attacker-controlled network source. Exploitation requires user interaction and may disclose a limited, layout-dependent amount of VLC process memory. Exposure depends on build configuration.

Affected Products

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

VideoLAN

VLC media player

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
`3.0.0`	affected	≤ 3.0.23

No data.

Vendor Product Versions

Videolan

Vlc Media Player

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`[3.0.0,3.0.23]`	affected	semver	—

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Advisories

Source	ID	Title
Debian DLA	DLA-4869-1	vlc security update
Debian DSA	DSA-6515-1	vlc security update

Metrics

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Attack Requirements None

User Interaction Passive

Vulnerable System Confidentiality Impact Low

Vulnerable System Integrity Impact None

Vulnerable System Availability Impact None

Subsequent System Confidentiality Impact None

Subsequent System Integrity Impact None

Subsequent System Availability Impact None

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact Low

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact None

User Interaction Required

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

Exploit prediction score: < 1% (0.240% probability within 30 days)

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact partial

References

Link	Providers
https://github.com/videolan/vlc

History

Sep 14, 2026 2:30 PM Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		ssvc `{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}`

Sep 14, 2026 11:30 AM References updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
References	https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/3.0.23/modules/access/rtsp/access.c https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/3.0.23/modules/access/rtsp/rtsp.c https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vlc-media-player-3.0.0-through-3.0.23-heap-out-of-bounds-read-via-unterminated-realrtsp-response-line

Sep 14, 2026 11:00 AM Description updated. Title updated. Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description	VLC media player copies an RTSP response line into a fixed buffer without guaranteeing termination and then treats that buffer as a C string. RtspReadLine in modules/access/rtsp/access.c calls strncpy with the full buffer length, which writes no terminator when the source line is at least as long as the destination, and rtsp_get in modules/access/rtsp/rtsp.c allocates that buffer as BUF_SIZE bytes and passes it to strdup. When a server returns a line of 4096 bytes or more, strdup measures its length past the end of the allocation and copies adjacent heap bytes until an incidental zero byte. Because the affected line is the Session header, the disclosed bytes are retained as the session identifier and sent back to the server on every subsequent request, so the operator of a hostile server reads heap memory from the client rather than inferring it. The attacker controls the line length and therefore how far the read runs. A single playlist entry naming a realrtsp URL is sufficient. The module is a build-time option, disabled in some distribution packages and enabled in the official VideoLAN builds.	Certain VLC media player builds in versions 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 contain a memory-safety vulnerability reachable when processing media from an attacker-controlled network source. Exploitation requires user interaction and may disclose a limited, layout-dependent amount of VLC process memory. Exposure depends on build configuration.
Title	VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 Heap Out-of-Bounds Read via Unterminated RealRTSP Response Line	VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 information disclosure vulnerability
Metrics	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}` cvssV4_0 `{'score': 6.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}`	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 4.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N'}` cvssV4_0 `{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}`

Sep 9, 2026 1:45 PM Description updated. Title updated. First appearance in the feed. Weaknesses updated. Affected versions updated. Affected vendors updated. Added references. Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		VLC media player copies an RTSP response line into a fixed buffer without guaranteeing termination and then treats that buffer as a C string. RtspReadLine in modules/access/rtsp/access.c calls strncpy with the full buffer length, which writes no terminator when the source line is at least as long as the destination, and rtsp_get in modules/access/rtsp/rtsp.c allocates that buffer as BUF_SIZE bytes and passes it to strdup. When a server returns a line of 4096 bytes or more, strdup measures its length past the end of the allocation and copies adjacent heap bytes until an incidental zero byte. Because the affected line is the Session header, the disclosed bytes are retained as the session identifier and sent back to the server on every subsequent request, so the operator of a hostile server reads heap memory from the client rather than inferring it. The attacker controls the line length and therefore how far the read runs. A single playlist entry naming a realrtsp URL is sufficient. The module is a build-time option, disabled in some distribution packages and enabled in the official VideoLAN builds.
Title		VLC media player 3.0.0 through 3.0.23 Heap Out-of-Bounds Read via Unterminated RealRTSP Response Line
First Time appeared		Videolan Videolan vlc Media Player
Weaknesses		CWE-125 CWE-170
CPEs		cpe:2.3:a:videolan:vlc_media_player::::::::
Vendors & Products		Videolan Videolan vlc Media Player
References		https://github.com/videolan/vlc https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/3.0.23/modules/access/rtsp/access.c https://github.com/videolan/vlc/blob/3.0.23/modules/access/rtsp/rtsp.c https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vlc-media-player-3.0.0-through-3.0.23-heap-out-of-bounds-read-via-unterminated-realrtsp-response-line
Metrics		cvssV3_1 `{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}` cvssV4_0 `{'score': 6.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}`