CVE-2018-7263 in libmad
Summary
by MITRE
The mad_decoder_run() function in decoder.c in Underbit libmad through 0.15.1b allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (SIGABRT because of double free or corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/08/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7263 resides within the mad_decoder_run() function in the decoder.c component of Underbit libmad version 0.15.1b and earlier. This issue represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to manipulate the library's behavior through specially crafted audio files. The vulnerability manifests when the library processes malformed input data, leading to unpredictable system states that can compromise the stability and availability of applications relying on this audio decoding library.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the decoder function. When processing maliciously constructed audio files, the mad_decoder_run() function fails to properly handle memory allocation and deallocation sequences, resulting in double free operations or memory corruption conditions. These memory management errors trigger SIGABRT signals that cause the application to terminate abruptly, thereby enabling a denial of service attack. The flaw operates at the intersection of buffer overflows and memory corruption vulnerabilities, making it particularly dangerous in environments where audio processing applications are deployed.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that utilize the libmad library for audio decoding tasks. Applications ranging from media players to streaming services that depend on this library become susceptible to remote exploitation, allowing attackers to disrupt service availability or potentially execute arbitrary code. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the memory corruption conditions could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks, depending on the execution environment and memory layout. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability when assessing the attack surface of systems processing audio content, particularly in networked environments where untrusted input is common.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-415 and CWE-416 categories, representing double free conditions and memory corruption issues respectively. According to ATT&CK framework, this weakness maps to T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks and potentially T1059 for command execution if exploitation extends beyond simple denial of service. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to libmad version 0.15.1c or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory management issues. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures at the application level can provide defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities in other libraries or components that may be susceptible to similar memory corruption patterns.