CVE-2017-11359 in Sound eXchange
Summary
by MITRE
The wavwritehdr function in wav.c in Sound eXchange (SoX) 14.4.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (divide-by-zero error and application crash) via a crafted snd file, during conversion to a wav file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-11359 resides within the Sound eXchange (SoX) multimedia processing library version 14.4.2, specifically within the wavwritehdr function located in the wav.c source file. This flaw represents a classic divide-by-zero error that occurs during the conversion process of audio files, particularly when handling specially crafted snd files that are transformed into wav format. The issue manifests as a critical denial of service condition that can be remotely exploited by attackers who craft malicious audio files designed to trigger the vulnerable code path. The vulnerability impacts the core functionality of SoX by causing the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly, effectively rendering the software unusable for its intended purpose of audio file conversion and manipulation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the wavwritehdr function, which fails to properly sanitize or validate the header information contained within the source snd file. When SoX attempts to process a crafted snd file, the function performs mathematical operations that include division by zero due to malformed or unexpected header values in the input file. This type of error falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-369, which specifically addresses the divide-by-zero weakness that occurs when a program attempts to divide a value by zero without proper validation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely through the conversion process, making it a significant threat to systems that rely on SoX for automated audio processing tasks or those that accept user-uploaded audio files for conversion.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-11359 extends beyond simple application crashes to encompass broader system availability concerns, particularly in environments where SoX is used as part of automated workflows or web services. When exploited, this vulnerability can be leveraged by attackers to perform denial of service attacks against systems processing audio files, potentially disrupting legitimate services and causing cascading failures in larger multimedia processing pipelines. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, as the exploit can be delivered through network-based audio file transfers or web uploads. Organizations utilizing SoX in production environments face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it can be exploited to disrupt audio processing services, particularly those that automatically convert user-uploaded files to different formats without proper input validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-11359 should prioritize immediate patching of the SoX library to version 14.4.3 or later, which includes the necessary fixes to prevent the divide-by-zero error. System administrators should implement strict input validation measures for any audio files processed through SoX, including file format verification and header content sanitization before conversion operations. Network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems can be configured to monitor for suspicious audio file patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing sandboxing techniques for audio processing operations and establishing proper access controls to limit exposure of SoX-based services to untrusted inputs. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and error handling in multimedia processing libraries, as highlighted by the MITRE ATT&CK framework's emphasis on preventing privilege escalation and denial of service through code quality improvements.