CVE-2026-18649 Red Hat CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for GStreamer deployments, especially those handling RTP packets, should assess exposure and prioritize verification and patching. This includes operators managing GStreamer-based systems, platform administrators, vulnerability management teams, and security teams responsible for monitoring and defending against potential denial-of-service attacks. These stakeholders should review GStreamer configurations, assess the impact of the vul

Why it matters

CVE-2026-18649 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service in GStreamer deployments by exploiting the lack of a maximum size limit on RTP reassembly buffers. Defenders handling RTP packets should verify exposure, prioritize patching, and monitor for anomalies.

• Denial of service through process termination
• Potential for process memory exhaustion
• Need for verification of GStreamer configurations and versions
• Priority for applying patches or updates

Technical summary

The rtph264depay and rtph265depay RTP depayloader elements in the GStreamer gst-plugins-good package do not enforce a maximum size limit on the reassembly buffer used during fragmented RTP packet processing. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to cause a denial of service through process termination by sending a continuous stream of RTP fragments without an end-of-fragment marker. The vulnerability is specific to the GStreamer gst-plugins-good package and affects systems that process RTP packets. Defenders should focus on verifying exposure in GStreamer deployments, especially in systems handling RTP packets, and assess the impact of potential process termination.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying exposure in GStreamer deployments, especially in systems handling RTP packets, and assess the impact of potential process termination.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify GStreamer gst-plugins-good package versions and configurations
• Assess exposure in systems handling RTP packets
• Implement monitoring for RTP packet processing anomalies
• Apply patches or updates provided by Red Hat
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability in GStreamer gst-plugins-good package. Red Hat has released several errata related to this vulnerability. Evidence is limited to public CVE and NVD sources, with no additional proprietary information available. Defenders should verify GStreamer configurations and versions, assess exposure in systems handling RTP packets, and prioritize patching based on the provided CVE and NVD details.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.