CVE-2018-14050 in libwav
Summary
by MITRE
An issue has been found in libwav through 2017-04-20. It is a SEGV in the function wav_free in libwav.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-14050 represents a critical segmentation fault within the libwav library version 2017-04-20 and earlier. This issue manifests as a denial of service condition when the wav_free function processes malformed audio files, specifically those with corrupted or improperly structured headers. The libwav library serves as a fundamental component for handling wave audio format files across various applications and systems, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for software that relies on proper audio file processing capabilities.
The technical flaw resides in the wav_free function located within libwav.c, where the library fails to properly validate input data before attempting to free allocated memory structures. When processing malformed wave files, the function encounters unexpected data patterns that cause it to dereference invalid memory pointers, resulting in a segmentation fault that terminates the executing process. This memory management issue stems from inadequate bounds checking and error handling within the audio file parsing logic, particularly when dealing with edge cases in file header structures or corrupted data segments.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that utilize libwav for audio processing tasks. Attackers could exploit this weakness by crafting malicious wave files that, when processed by vulnerable applications, would cause service disruption through process termination. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it can affect applications ranging from media players to professional audio editing software, potentially leading to complete system instability when these applications encounter the malformed files during normal operation. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal effort and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated file processing occurs.
Security practitioners should prioritize patching affected systems by updating to libwav versions that address this segmentation fault vulnerability, which typically involves implementing proper input validation and memory management practices. The fix should include comprehensive error handling within the wav_free function to ensure that malformed data does not lead to memory access violations. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures and robust file validation procedures can provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and may be related to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers legitimate user execution, as exploitation often occurs through normal file processing workflows. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting and file type validation mechanisms to prevent execution of potentially malicious audio files that could trigger this vulnerability during routine operations.