CVE-2006-4089 in Alsaplayer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in Andy Lo-A-Foe AlsaPlayer 0.99.76 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash), or have other unknown impact, via (1) a long Location field sent by a web server, which triggers an overflow in the reconnect function in reader/http/http.c; (2) a long URL sent by a web server when AlsaPlayer is seeking a media file for the playlist, which triggers overflows in new_list_item and CbUpdated in interface/gtk/PlaylistWindow.cpp; and (3) a long response sent by a CDDB server, which triggers an overflow in cddb_lookup in input/ccda/cdda_engine.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2025
The CVE-2006-4089 vulnerability represents a critical buffer overflow issue affecting Andy Lo-A-Foe AlsaPlayer version 0.99.76 and earlier, presenting significant security risks to users of this audio media player. This vulnerability manifests through three distinct attack vectors that exploit different components of the application's network handling mechanisms, creating multiple pathways for potential exploitation. The flaw demonstrates the classic characteristics of buffer overflow vulnerabilities that have plagued multimedia applications for years, where improper input validation leads to memory corruption and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans across multiple source files within the AlsaPlayer codebase, each presenting unique attack surfaces. The first vector involves a maliciously crafted Location field sent by a web server that triggers an overflow in the reconnect function located in reader/http/http.c. This specific function fails to properly validate the length of incoming location data, allowing attackers to exceed the allocated buffer space and overwrite adjacent memory regions. The second vulnerability occurs during playlist seeking operations when AlsaPlayer processes long URLs, causing overflows in both new_list_item and CbUpdated functions within interface/gtk/PlaylistWindow.cpp. These functions demonstrate inadequate bounds checking when handling user-provided URL strings during media file navigation. The third attack vector targets the CDDB server interaction where oversized responses trigger buffer overflows in cddb_lookup function found in input/ccda/cdda_engine.c, exposing the application to manipulation during CD database lookups.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-4089 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to cause application crashes, leading to service disruption and user experience degradation. However, the unspecified nature of the "other unknown impact" suggests that these buffer overflows may provide opportunities for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution, particularly given that the affected functions handle network data that could be manipulated to overwrite critical program memory. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and reflects patterns commonly found in the ATT&CK framework under the T1203 technique for legitimate program execution with malicious input. The presence of multiple attack vectors increases the exploitability profile of this vulnerability, as attackers can potentially target any of the three identified functions without requiring specific conditions.
The exploitation of these buffer overflows demonstrates fundamental security weaknesses in input validation and memory management practices within the AlsaPlayer application. Each affected component fails to implement proper bounds checking mechanisms that would prevent malicious data from exceeding allocated buffer boundaries. The vulnerability's classification as a remote attack vector means that users are at risk even when simply browsing web content or connecting to CDDB servers, as the malicious input can be delivered through legitimate network protocols. Security practitioners should recognize these issues as representative of broader software security challenges in multimedia applications, where network input handling often receives insufficient attention during development phases. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of implementing robust input validation, proper memory management practices, and regular security assessments to prevent similar issues in other applications. Organizations using affected versions of AlsaPlayer should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions, implementing network segmentation, and monitoring for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the need for developers to follow secure coding practices and adhere to established security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for preventing buffer overflow conditions in networked applications.