CVE-2026-112012 in libtta
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2026
libtta through 2.3 contains a stack out-of-bounds read and write vulnerability in tta_decoder_process_stream() and tta_decoder_process_frame() because header checks never reject a zero channel count. Attackers can supply a crafted .tta file declaring zero channels so decorrelation accesses cache[-1] with stream-derived values, corrupting stack memory in decoding applications.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2026
The vulnerability identified within libtta versions up to 2.3 represents a critical failure in input validation logic during the audio decoding process. Specifically, the flaw resides in the functions tta_decoder_process_stream and tta_decoder_process_frame, which are responsible for handling the core data processing of True Audio files. The root cause is a missing boundary check that fails to reject headers declaring zero channels. In digital audio formats like TTA, channel count is a fundamental parameter used to determine memory allocation and indexing strategies for multi-channel decorrelation algorithms. By allowing a channel count of zero, the decoder proceeds with initialization routines that assume valid positive integer inputs, leading to undefined behavior when subsequent operations attempt to access array indices based on this invalid value.
From a technical perspective, the exploitation mechanism involves an attacker crafting a malicious .tta file where the header explicitly sets the number of audio channels to zero. When the decoder processes such a file, it enters the decorrelation phase without properly validating that the channel count is greater than zero. This oversight causes the application to access memory at index -1 relative to the current stack frame or cache structure. In C-based applications, negative array indexing results in out-of-bounds reads and writes on the stack. The attacker can control stream-derived values that are written into this invalid memory location, effectively allowing for arbitrary write primitives within the context of the decoding application. This type of error is classified under CWE-125 as an Out-of-Bounds Read and CWE-787 as an Out-of-Bounds Write, highlighting the severity of accessing memory outside the intended buffer boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, potentially leading to remote code execution or denial of service depending on how the decoded data is utilized by the host application. If a media player or audio processing tool automatically processes untrusted TTA files without user intervention, an attacker could exploit this flaw to overwrite return addresses or function pointers on the stack. This manipulation can redirect program flow to malicious shellcode injected via the crafted file content. Even if code execution is not achieved, the memory corruption can cause immediate application crashes, resulting in a denial of service for users relying on libtta-based software. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, as it targets client-side applications that parse untrusted media files.
Mitigation strategies must focus on enforcing strict input validation at the earliest possible stage of file parsing. Developers should modify tta_decoder_process_stream and tta_decoder_process_frame to explicitly check if the channel count is greater than zero before proceeding with any memory allocation or processing logic. If a zero value is detected, the decoder should immediately abort the process and return an error code rather than attempting to decode invalid data. Additionally, implementing bounds checking mechanisms that validate all array indices against allocated buffer sizes can prevent out-of-bounds accesses even if other validation steps fail. Updating libtta to version 2.4 or later resolves this issue as it includes patches for these header checks. Users who cannot immediately update should employ sandboxing solutions or disable automatic playback of untrusted audio files until the patch is applied, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential exploiters.