CVE-2018-10539 in Wavpack
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in WavPack 5.1.0 and earlier for DSDiff input. Out-of-bounds writes can occur because ParseDsdiffHeaderConfig in dsdiff.c does not validate the sizes of unknown chunks before attempting memory allocation, related to a lack of integer-overflow protection within a bytes_to_copy calculation and subsequent malloc call, leading to insufficient memory allocation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10539 represents a critical memory safety issue within the WavPack audio processing library version 5.1.0 and earlier. This flaw specifically affects the handling of DSDiff (Direct Stream Digital Interchange Format) input files, which are commonly used for high-resolution audio data. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the ParseDsdiffHeaderConfig function located in the dsdiff.c source file, creating a pathway for maliciously crafted audio files to trigger exploitable conditions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of size parameters during the parsing of DSDiff headers. When the ParseDsdiffHeaderConfig function processes unknown chunk sizes, it fails to validate whether these sizes are within acceptable bounds before proceeding with memory allocation operations. This validation gap creates a scenario where integer overflow conditions can occur during the calculation of bytes_to_copy, which directly influences the malloc call that allocates memory for these chunks. The absence of proper integer overflow protection means that malicious input can cause the calculated memory allocation size to be significantly smaller than required, resulting in out-of-bounds writes that can overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it creates potential attack vectors for remote code execution and system compromise. When an application processes a specially crafted DSDiff file through the vulnerable WavPack library, the out-of-bounds write conditions can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations including function pointers, return addresses, or other program state information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WavPack is widely used in audio processing applications, media players, and professional audio software environments where users may unknowingly process malicious audio files.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK tactics including TA0002 (Execution) and TA0005 (Defense Evasion) as attackers could potentially leverage the out-of-bounds write to execute arbitrary code or manipulate program execution flow. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a malicious DSDiff file that can be delivered through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or media processing pipelines. Organizations using affected versions of WavPack should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, file format sanitization, and application sandboxing. The recommended solution involves updating to WavPack version 5.2.0 or later where the integer overflow protection has been implemented, along with implementing proper bounds checking for all chunk size parameters in the DSDiff parsing routines. Additionally, deployment of runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against potential exploitation attempts.