CVE-2014-9639 in vorbis-tools
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in oggenc in vorbis-tools 1.4.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted number of channels in a WAV file, which triggers an out-of-bounds memory access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9639 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the oggenc component of vorbis-tools version 1.4.0. This issue specifically targets the handling of audio file metadata during the conversion process from wav to ogg format. The flaw occurs when processing a specially crafted wav file containing an excessive number of audio channels that exceeds the system's capacity to properly handle the integer arithmetic required for memory allocation. This vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions that can lead to memory corruption and system instability.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of channel count parameters within wav file headers that are subsequently processed by the oggenc utility. When the tool encounters a wav file with an unusually high number of channels, the integer overflow causes the calculated memory allocation to wrap around to a very small value or zero. This results in insufficient memory being allocated for the audio data processing, ultimately leading to out-of-bounds memory access when the system attempts to write data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely through web-based file upload mechanisms or automated processing systems without requiring any special privileges from the attacker.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant denial of service risk for systems that rely on vorbis-tools for audio processing workflows. The crash occurs during the conversion process, effectively preventing legitimate audio files from being properly encoded and stored within the system. This vulnerability has been categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which deals with network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion or system instability. Organizations using this software in production environments face potential disruption of audio processing pipelines, especially in scenarios involving automated media ingestion or content management systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9639 should focus on immediate software updates to patched versions of vorbis-tools where the integer overflow has been properly addressed through bounds checking and proper input validation. System administrators should implement strict file format validation and channel count limitations within their audio processing workflows to prevent malicious files from reaching the vulnerable oggenc component. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for suspicious file upload patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper integer handling in multimedia processing applications and serves as a reminder of the critical need for input validation in file format parsers. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for audio processing tasks to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in other components of their media processing infrastructure.