# CVE-2016-9809: GStreamer off-by-one error in H.264 parser

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-9809-gstreamer-off-by-one-error-in-h-264-parser  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2017-01-13. Updated: 2026-05-13  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2016-9809 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2017-01-13

GStreamer, a widely used multimedia framework for processing audio and video, contains a vulnerability in its H.264 video parsing component. An attacker can exploit this by providing a specially crafted video file that, when opened by a user, causes the application to crash or potentially leak sensitive information. This affects various Linux distributions and any software relying on GStreamer for media playback.

Technologies: [Gstreamer](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/gstreamer), [Red Hat Gstreamer-Plugins-Bad-Free](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/gstreamer-plugins-bad-free). Vendors: [Debian](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/debian), [Gstreamer](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/gstreamer), [Red Hat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/red-hat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2016-9809 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2016-9809 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2016-9809?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 13 January 2017.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Debian Gst-Plugins-Bad1.0 8 (jessie); Red Hat Gstreamer-Plugins-Bad-Free Enterprise Linux 7.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2016-9809?** A patch was published on 2017-01-05: Red Hat released security updates (RHSA-2017:0018, RHSA-2017:0021) Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2016-9809 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2016-9809?** Check whether you run Debian Gst-Plugins-Bad1.0, Gstreamer, GStreamer Bad Plugins or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

An off-by-one error exists in the 'gst_h264_parse_set_caps' function within GStreamer's H.264 parsing component. The vulnerability is triggered when the parser processes a malformed H.264 stream, leading to an out-of-bounds read. While primarily identified as a cause for application crashes (Denial of Service), out-of-bounds reads can sometimes be leveraged for information disclosure or, in complex scenarios, memory corruption. The attack vector requires a user to open a crafted file (User Interaction) using an application linked against the vulnerable GStreamer library. The issue was addressed in GStreamer version 1.10.2.

## Affected products

- GStreamer GStreamer before 1.10.2
- Red Hat gstreamer-plugins-bad-free Enterprise Linux 7
- Debian gst-plugins-bad1.0 8 (jessie)

## Timeline

- 2016-12-01: disclosed: Initial public disclosure on oss-security mailing list
- 2017-01-05: patched: Red Hat released security updates (RHSA-2017:0018, RHSA-2017:0021)
- 2017-01-13: advisory: NVD published CVE-2016-9809
- 2017-03-27: patched: Debian released security update (DSA-3818-1)

## References

- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0018.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0018.html)
- [http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0021.html](http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0021.html)
- [http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3818](http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3818)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/01/2](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/01/2)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/05/8](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/05/8)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95147](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95147)
- [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=774896](https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=774896)

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