CVE-2017-12797 in mpg123
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in the INT123_parse_new_id3 function in the ID3 parser in mpg123 before 1.25.5 on 32-bit platforms allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted file, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12797 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the mpg123 media player's ID3 metadata parser component. This issue specifically affects 32-bit platforms and impacts versions prior to 1.25.5 of the software. The vulnerability manifests in the INT123_parse_new_id3 function which processes ID3 tags contained within audio files, particularly those in mp3 format. When processing specially crafted malicious files, the parser fails to properly validate integer values during the parsing process, leading to unexpected behavior in memory allocation calculations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully constructed ID3 tag within an mp3 file that triggers an integer overflow condition. This overflow corrupts the heap memory management structures by causing the parser to allocate insufficient memory for buffer operations. The flaw stems from improper handling of large integer values that exceed the maximum representable value for 32-bit signed integers, typically around 2,147,483,647. When these values overflow, they wrap around to negative numbers or unexpectedly small positive values, resulting in inadequate buffer sizing for subsequent memory allocations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to cause application crashes, system instability, and in some scenarios may be able to execute arbitrary code through heap-based buffer overflow exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects widely used media players and streaming applications that process user-provided content without adequate input validation. The heap-based buffer overflow creates opportunities for memory corruption that could be exploited to manipulate program execution flow, especially when combined with other vulnerabilities or when the affected application runs with elevated privileges.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow and underflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to memory corruption. From an attack framework perspective, this issue maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves the exploitation of input validation flaws to cause application instability or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust integer arithmetic handling and memory management in security-critical applications. Organizations using mpg123 or similar media processing libraries should prioritize immediate patching to version 1.25.5 or later, as well as implement additional input validation measures for user-provided media files. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network-level filtering to prevent processing of untrusted audio content, and application developers should review their own integer handling practices to prevent similar issues in their codebases.