# CVE-2026-52721: GStreamer out-of-bounds read in pcapparse element

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-52721-gstreamer-out-of-bounds-read-in-pcapparse-element  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-15. Updated: 2026-06-15  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-52721 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-06-15

GStreamer, a widely used framework for handling multimedia files, contains a flaw in its PCAP parsing component often used for network debugging. An attacker could provide a specially crafted network capture file that, when processed, causes the application to crash or potentially leak small amounts of memory information. Because this component is typically used only during technical debugging, the risk to standard production operations is considered low.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-52721 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-52721 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-52721?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 15 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** GStreamer GStreamer versions prior to 1.28.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-52721?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-52721 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-52721?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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

Multiple out-of-bounds (OOB) read vulnerabilities exist in the 'pcapparse' element within GStreamer's 'gst-plugins-bad' package. The root cause is insufficient validation of buffer boundaries during IPv4 and TCP/UDP header parsing in gstpcapparse.c. Specifically, the code reads port information without verifying buffer length and trusts the 'ip_packet_len' field to calculate payload sizes, which can lead to reads exceeding the current buffer. Exploitation requires a user to process a malicious PCAP file through a GStreamer pipeline that includes the pcapparse element. A fix is planned for GStreamer version 1.28.4.

## Affected products

- GStreamer GStreamer versions prior to 1.28.4

## Timeline

- 2026-06-02: other: Upstream maintainer confirmed the vulnerability
- 2026-06-09: disclosed: Initial bug report created
- 2026-06-15: advisory: NVD and Red Hat published advisory details

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52721](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52721)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2486732](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2486732)
- [https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/work_items/5106](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/gstreamer/gstreamer/-/work_items/5106)