CVE-2015-7747 in audiofile
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the afReadFrames function in audiofile (aka libaudiofile and Audio File Library) allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (program crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted audio file, as demonstrated by sixteen-stereo-to-eight-mono.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7747 represents a critical buffer overflow condition within the audiofile library, specifically within the afReadFrames function that handles audio file processing operations. This flaw exists in the widely used Audio File Library implementation known as libaudiofile, which serves as a core component for audio file manipulation across numerous applications and systems. The vulnerability manifests when the library processes malformed audio files, particularly those designed to exploit the buffer overflow condition through carefully crafted audio data structures. The attack vector is classified as user-assisted remote exploitation, meaning that an attacker must convince a victim to open or process a maliciously constructed audio file, though the actual exploitation can occur without direct user interaction once the file is encountered by vulnerable applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the afReadFrames function, which is responsible for reading frame data from audio files during processing operations. When the library encounters audio files with malformed header information or unexpected data structures, particularly those involving stereo-to-mono channel conversions, the function fails to properly bounds-check buffer allocations. This deficiency allows attackers to overflow predetermined buffer sizes, potentially corrupting adjacent memory regions and causing unpredictable program behavior. The specific demonstration case mentioned in the vulnerability report involves a sixteen-stereo-to-eight-mono conversion scenario, which highlights how channel conversion operations can trigger the overflow condition through improper handling of audio data transformation parameters.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7747 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential arbitrary code execution capabilities, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability for affected systems. When exploited successfully, the buffer overflow can lead to program crashes that disrupt service availability, but more critically, the memory corruption can be leveraged to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. This vulnerability affects numerous applications and systems that depend on the audiofile library for audio processing, including media players, audio editing software, and various multimedia frameworks that utilize the library for audio file handling. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed software components means that exploitation can potentially affect a broad range of systems from desktop applications to server-based audio processing services.
Organizations and developers should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability by updating to patched versions of the audiofile library, which typically include proper bounds checking and input validation measures. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may also map to CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflows depending on the specific memory allocation patterns involved in the implementation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under initial access and execution tactics, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities through crafted audio files. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of privilege escalation when exploited in applications running with elevated privileges, making it a significant concern for system security posture. System administrators should also consider implementing file validation mechanisms and restricting user access to audio file processing capabilities in environments where untrusted audio content might be processed.