CVE-2021-30473Network attack vector

Process crash via invalid image-pointer free

Published May 6, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Invalid pointer release in AOMedia libaom before 2021-04-07 allows remote attackers to crash a process through failed image allocation. In aom_image.c, img_alloc_helper routes allocation failures through aom_img_free, which can pass a non-heap image pointer to free(). Reachability requires a consuming application to invoke the image-allocation API with attacker-influenced parameters that trigger its failure path.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability2.05%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Invalid pointer release in AOMedia libaom before 2021-04-07 allows remote attackers to crash a process through failed image allocation. In aom_image.c, img_alloc_helper routes allocation failures through aom_img_free, which can pass a non-heap image pointer to free(). Reachability requires a consuming application to invoke the image-allocation API with attacker-influenced parameters that trigger its failure path.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-30473
Published
May 6, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-763, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 6, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.8UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-763Release of Invalid Pointer or Reference
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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