CVE-2006-7075 in Aqualung
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the meta_read_flac function in meta_decoder.c for Aqualung 0.9beta5 and earlier, and CVS 0.193.2 and earlier, allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long Vorbis comment in a Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-7075 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Aqualung media player software ecosystem. This issue affects both the stable 0.9beta5 release and the CVS version 0.193.2, indicating a long-standing security weakness that persisted across multiple development iterations. The vulnerability specifically targets the meta_read_flac function located in the meta_decoder.c source file, which serves as the component responsible for parsing metadata within FLAC audio files. The flaw manifests when processing Vorbis comments embedded within FLAC containers, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted audio files can trigger unauthorized code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient bounds checking is performed on data copied into fixed-length buffers. In this case, the meta_read_flac function fails to properly validate the length of Vorbis comment data before attempting to read it into a predetermined buffer space. When an attacker crafts a FLAC file containing an excessively long Vorbis comment field, the function attempts to copy this oversized data into a buffer that cannot accommodate the excess information, resulting in memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. This type of vulnerability falls squarely within the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as successful exploitation would enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the affected application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to user data. Since Aqualung is a media player application, users frequently interact with audio files from untrusted sources, making this attack vector particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that exploitation requires the victim to open the malicious FLAC file, which could occur through various social engineering tactics such as email attachments, malicious websites, or peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Once executed, the buffer overflow could allow attackers to gain control over the application's execution flow, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise depending on the execution environment and user permissions. The vulnerability's persistence across both stable and development versions suggests that proper input validation mechanisms were either absent or inadequately implemented in the metadata parsing code, indicating a fundamental security flaw in the application's architecture that required immediate attention and remediation.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability encompass both immediate and long-term security measures. Users should immediately upgrade to Aqualung versions that contain patches addressing this buffer overflow issue, as the original vulnerable versions pose significant security risks. System administrators should implement application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted media files and consider deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious file content patterns. Additionally, developers should implement comprehensive input validation routines that enforce strict bounds checking on all external data sources, particularly metadata fields within multimedia files. The fix should incorporate defensive programming techniques such as using safe string manipulation functions and implementing proper memory management practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future code releases. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their media processing applications to identify and remediate similar buffer overflow conditions that could exist in other components of their software infrastructure.