VLC Media Player 3.0.18 Update: Improved Adaptive Streaming Support, Format Changes, Crash Fixes, and More

VLC Media Player, a popular open-source cross-platform multimedia player has received major updates as of Friday, Dec. 2.

According to VideoLAN, the non-profit creator of this program, the 3.0.18 update is now available for download. The changes focus on improving the app's stability and compatibility, as well as adding new format support and fixing security issues.

VLC 3.0.18 Update Changes

VLC users are waiting for the next update to happen and now they can use the media player with its brand-new set of improvements. According to Tech Spot, the 19th update includes revamped adaptive streaming support, extra format support, bug crashes, and more.

Other than those, VideoLAN also wants to bring solutions when it comes to compatibility problems. As such, the program is now accessible with older GPU models, the startup said.

Moreover, the VLC Media Player update implements several bug fixes including the playlist live loop. The improvement also rolls out to MKV media files where new support is added to the DVBSub.

The third-party libraries are also included in the update along with the arrival of FFmpeg which is a collection of different open-source projects such as mpg123, libsmb2, libass, dav1d, upnp, and GnuTLS to name a few.

Another issue that VideoLAN fixed is the library handling of Blu-ray optical discs. This is one of the most annoying bugs that some users complain about in the app.

Right now, you can check that the BD-J menus are perfectly working after the update. Although there might be some irregularities with the Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, as the early tests conclude, the update brings so much stability to the whole program.

VLC Security Bugs Fixes

As written in the Security Bulletin VLC 3.0.18, VideoLAN brings several solutions for the existing bugs in the app. The update solves the problem where there's a denial of service (DOS) that might appear once there's an error in the mp4 file.

Another notable fix includes file crashes that take place when double-free (#26930) pops out. Another DOS-related problem can show up if there's a null pointer dereference or erroneous oog file.

The issue with a malicious vnc URL (#27335, CVE-2022-41325) is now solved thanks to the latest update. Before, remote code execution could easily get triggered when there was a buffer overflow in the vnc module.

VideoLAN must be aware of these security issues since exploits could totally disrupt the functions of the VLC Media Player.

Back in April, Tech Times reported that some Chinese hackers were spotted using the VLC media player as an outlet for malware spread.

The state-sponsored cyber criminals were caught using the custom malware loader to infect the vulnerable systems of the victims and steal their credentials.