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CVE-2026-53423

membrane_mp4_plugin has an unauthenticated denial-of-service via BEAM atom table exhaustion

CVSS score

—

EPSS probability

%0.2

Risk score

—

Published

1 mo ago

Official patch verified

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Vulnerability description

DayBreach CVE AI Research

CVE-2026-53423 has vendor, distribution, patch and security-source records on file. We can compare them and prepare an explanation linked to the evidence.

### Summary `membrane_mp4_plugin` interns every 4-byte MP4 box name as a BEAM atom while parsing container headers, with no validation against an allow-list. Any code path that calls `Membrane.MP4.Container.parse/1` (or the bang variant) on attacker-controlled MP4 bytes can be made to exhaust the BEAM atom table, which is uncapped at the source but bounded by the runtime ceiling (around 1,048,576 atoms) and never garbage-collected. Once the ceiling is hit, the entire BEAM node aborts. ### Details The MP4 container parser walks the input stream box-by-box. For each box, `Membrane.MP4.Container.Header.parse/1` in `lib/membrane_mp4/container/header.ex` extracts the 4-byte name field and delegates to the private helper `parse_box_name/1`, which trims trailing spaces and passes the bytes through `String.to_atom/1`. Because `String.to_atom/1` creates a new atom unconditionally, every distinct attacker-chosen 4-byte sequence becomes a permanent allocation in the global atom table. Atoms are not subject to garbage collection, so unique names accumulate for the lifetime of the node. The fix replaces the unsafe interning with `String.to_existing_atom/1` and treats unknown names as the `:unknown` atom downstream (with related plumbing in `parse_helper.ex`, `serialize_helper.ex`, and the ISOM/CMAF demuxer engines so the new error variant flows through cleanly). ### PoC 1. Generate an MP4-shaped payload of roughly 1.1 million minimal box headers, each 8 bytes long (4-byte size of 8, followed by a unique 4-byte ASCII name produced by enumerating combinations in the printable range). 2. Concatenate them into a single binary (~8 MB total). 3. Call `Membrane.MP4.Container.parse!/1` on the binary inside any process running under the target BEAM node. 4. The node aborts once the atom table ceiling is reached. ### Impact An attacker who can get a single crafted MP4 file in front of any system that demuxes user-supplied media with `membrane_mp4_plugin` can crash the entire BEAM node hosting that pipeline, taking down every Erlang/Elixir application sharing the runtime. No authentication, network position, or user interaction is required beyond delivering the file to whatever processing path eventually calls the parser. ### References * Introduction commit: https://github.com/membraneframework/membrane_mp4_plugin/commit/ae4bf04c393aa1562f3df3d33e20bc5cb8130de2 * Patch commit: https://github.com/membraneframework/membrane_mp4_plugin/commit/56373d1ddc86968e55fbde795c14eeba24357b57

IMPACT: Affected Products and Software

Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-53423 vulnerability. Where our threat engine knows the exact affected versions, they are listed below.

IDVENDORPRODUCTACTION
1hexmembrane_mp4_plugin View
Total affected vendors: 1|Products: 1

RED HAT CSAF/VEX: Product Impact Check

Red Hat has not yet published a CSAF/VEX impact record for this CVE. This does not mean “not affected”.

SCORING: CVSS from Multiple Sources

CVSS Scores

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardised framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and display CVSS scores from several sources for each CVE.

SCOREVERSIONSEVERITYVECTORSOURCE
5.9CVSS 4.0—Vector not publishedGitHub Advisory

Patch and Remediation Guide

Solution & Remediation Advisory

Patch verified

1 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

osvmembrane_mp4_plugin0.36.7

OSV düzeltilmiş sürüm: 0.36.7

Confirm the affected product and version against the source evidence above.
Restrict access to internet-facing services and apply network segmentation.
Apply the official update named in the evidence only to the matching product and version.
Monitor server logs and network endpoints for signs of anomalous execution.

Public exploit and active exploitation status

Verified exploit intelligence

No verified public PoC, exploit repository or Metasploit module has been found for this CVE yet.

Weakness Classification and Attack Patterns (CWE & CAPEC)

CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorises the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-53423 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-53423 weaknesses.

Official Sources and Advisories

Yama doğrulandı

1 doğrulanmış yama veya düzeltilmiş sürüm kanıtı bulundu.

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Weakness Type (CWE & CAPEC)

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