CVE-2012-6048 in Guitar Pro
Summary
by MITRE
Guitar Pro 6.1.1 r10791 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long string in a gpx file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6048 affects Guitar Pro 6.1.1 r10791, a popular music notation software used by musicians and composers for creating and editing musical scores. This particular flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that manifests through improper input validation within the software's file parsing mechanism. The vulnerability specifically targets the gpx file format which is used by Guitar Pro for storing project data including musical arrangements, instrument settings, and playback configurations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the software's failure to properly sanitize input data when processing gpx files. When a maliciously crafted gpx file containing an excessively long string is loaded into Guitar Pro, the application attempts to process this malformed data without adequate bounds checking or string length validation. This lack of input sanitization creates a condition where the software's internal buffers overflow, leading to unexpected program termination and system instability. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires user interaction through file opening, making it a remote attack vector when gpx files are delivered via malicious websites or email attachments.
From an operational impact perspective, this denial of service vulnerability compromises the reliability and availability of the Guitar Pro application, potentially disrupting musical composition workflows for users. The crash condition can occur during normal file loading operations, causing users to lose unsaved work and potentially requiring complete application restarts. Security researchers classify this vulnerability under CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability affects users running Guitar Pro 6.1.1 r10791 and potentially other versions within the same release cycle, making it a widespread concern for the software's user base.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates from the vendor, as version 6.1.1 r10791 was likely patched in subsequent releases. Users should implement strict file validation practices, particularly when opening gpx files from untrusted sources, and consider employing automated file scanning tools to detect potentially malicious content. Network administrators should consider implementing file type restrictions and content filtering for gpx files in enterprise environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper memory management in multimedia applications, and serves as a reminder that even creative software applications require robust security measures to prevent exploitation. Organizations using Guitar Pro should establish secure file handling protocols and maintain current software versions to protect against similar vulnerabilities in the future.