CVE-2003-0577 in mpg123
Summary
by MITRE
mpg123 0.59r allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via an MP3 file with a zero bitrate, which creates a negative frame size.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-0577 affects mpg123 version 0.59r, a popular open-source audio player for mp3 files. This security flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that can be exploited through malformed media files, specifically MP3 files containing a zero bitrate parameter. The issue stems from inadequate input validation within the audio decoding process where the software fails to properly handle edge cases in file metadata. When an attacker crafts an MP3 file with a zero bitrate value, the mpg123 player encounters a negative frame size calculation during parsing, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of MP3 file headers where the bitrate field is set to zero, causing the audio parser to compute a negative frame size value. This negative value triggers integer underflow conditions within the mpg123 codebase, particularly in the frame size calculation routines that determine how much data to read for each audio frame. The improper handling of this edge case results in memory corruption that can manifest as program crashes or potentially allow for arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-190 category of integer overflow or underflow conditions, specifically CWE-191 which deals with integer underflow. The vulnerability represents a serious security risk as it can be exploited remotely through the delivery of malicious MP3 files, making it particularly dangerous in web environments where users might unknowingly download and play such files.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for systems that rely on mpg123 for audio playback, particularly web servers, media streaming platforms, and applications that automatically process user-uploaded audio content. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can be exploited to disrupt services by causing the application to crash repeatedly, while the potential for arbitrary code execution opens the door to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability in various attack vectors including web-based exploits, email attachments, or file sharing platforms where users might encounter malicious MP3 files. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the potential for code execution means that attackers could gain unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable versions of mpg123. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which involves exploiting weaknesses in applications to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious code. The vulnerability's remote exploitability makes it particularly dangerous in environments where users have no control over media file sources, as the attack can be initiated without any user interaction beyond simply playing the malicious file.
The recommended mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate patching of mpg123 to version 0.59s or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper input validation and frame size calculations. Organizations should also implement content filtering mechanisms to scan and validate MP3 files before processing them, particularly in environments where user-generated content is accepted. Network administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict the execution of vulnerable versions of mpg123 and deploy intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security audits should be conducted to ensure that all media processing applications are updated to their latest secure versions, as this vulnerability represents a common pattern in multimedia processing software where input validation is insufficient. The fix implemented in newer versions typically involves adding proper bounds checking for frame size calculations and ensuring that negative values are properly handled or rejected during the parsing process.