CVE-2018-11626 in SELA
Summary
by MITRE
SELA (aka SimplE Lossless Audio) v0.1.2-alpha has a stack-based buffer overflow in the core/apev2.c init_apev2_keys function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11626 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow flaw within the SELA (SimplE Lossless Audio) library version 0.1.2-alpha. This issue specifically resides in the core/apev2.c file within the init_apev2_keys function, making it a fundamental component of the audio processing pipeline susceptible to exploitation. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation and memory management practices during the initialization of APEv2 metadata processing within lossless audio files.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic stack buffer overflow condition where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond the allocated memory space for the buffer. This occurs when the function processes APEv2 metadata tags without adequate verification of input lengths or buffer capacities, enabling maliciously crafted audio files to trigger memory corruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the core processing layer of audio metadata handling, making it accessible through normal file parsing operations. According to CWE classification, this maps directly to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which specifically addresses buffer overflow conditions where data is written beyond the bounds of a stack-allocated buffer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it creates potential for remote code execution within applications that utilize the SELA library for audio processing. Attackers could craft specially formatted APEv2 metadata within lossless audio files to overwrite adjacent stack memory, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system compromise. The attack surface is particularly wide given that lossless audio formats are commonly used across multiple platforms and applications, including media players, audio editing software, and streaming services that may unknowingly process these files through the vulnerable library. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-11626 require immediate patching of the SELA library to version 0.1.2-alpha or later, which should include proper input validation and buffer length checking mechanisms. Security practitioners should implement runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and non-executable stack protections to reduce exploitability even if the underlying vulnerability persists. Additionally, input sanitization measures should be deployed at network boundaries and application layers to filter out potentially malicious audio files before they reach systems utilizing the vulnerable library. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems and applications that depend on this library, ensuring complete remediation across their entire infrastructure. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices in multimedia processing libraries where input validation and memory management are paramount considerations.