CVE-2026-112013 in libtta
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2026
libtta through 2.3 contains a divide-by-zero vulnerability in tta_decoder_init_get_info() that allows attackers to crash applications by supplying an unvalidated zero sample rate. Attackers can craft a .tta file with a recomputed header CRC32 that triggers SIGFPE, crashing applications including the bundled tta console tool.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2026
The vulnerability identified in libtta versions through 2.3 represents a critical arithmetic error within the audio decoding library's initialization routine. Specifically, the function tta_decoder_init_get_info() fails to validate input parameters before performing mathematical operations that depend on them. This oversight creates a divide-by-zero condition when an attacker supplies a crafted .tta file containing a sample rate value of zero. In standard computing environments, division by zero is undefined and typically results in a fatal signal being sent to the process, such as SIGFPE (Floating Point Exception) on Unix-like systems or access violation exceptions on Windows. This behavior leads directly to an abrupt termination of the application executing the decoder, resulting in a denial of service condition for any software that relies on libtta for processing audio data.
The technical mechanism behind this exploit involves manipulating the metadata header of the .tta file format. The TTA (True Audio) codec uses specific headers to define stream properties including sample rate, bit depth, and channel count. To successfully trigger the vulnerability without being rejected by initial integrity checks, an attacker must craft a malicious file where the payload contains a zero value for the sample rate field within the header structure. Crucially, because many parsers verify the integrity of these files using CRC32 checksums, the attacker is required to recompute and update the header's CRC32 value to match the modified content. This step ensures that the malicious file passes basic validation checks before reaching the decoding logic where the division by zero occurs. The successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated remote or local attacker to crash applications ranging from media players to automated audio processing pipelines, effectively disrupting service availability without requiring code execution privileges beyond those of the victim application.
From a security classification perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-369, which describes Divide By Zero vulnerabilities where insufficient validation leads to arithmetic errors causing crashes or unexpected behavior. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1499, specifically Endpoint Denial of Service via resource exhaustion or crash induction through malformed inputs. The impact is primarily confined to availability rather than confidentiality or integrity, as the immediate result is a process termination. However, in contexts where libtta is used within larger systems that expect continuous operation, such crashes can cascade into broader service disruptions. Furthermore, if similar unvalidated arithmetic operations exist elsewhere in the library, they could potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities to achieve more severe outcomes like arbitrary code execution, although the current description focuses on the denial of service aspect via SIGFPE generation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve both immediate patching and long-term defensive coding practices. The primary remediation is to upgrade libtta to a version greater than 2.3 where the division-by-zero flaw has been addressed by developers adding proper input validation checks before performing arithmetic operations on sample rate values. Organizations relying on older versions should implement strict input filtering at the application layer, ensuring that any audio files processed have their metadata validated against expected ranges and constraints before being passed to the decoder library. Additionally, implementing robust error handling mechanisms can help applications gracefully recover from unexpected exceptions rather than crashing entirely. Security teams should also conduct code reviews focusing on arithmetic operations involving external inputs to identify similar patterns of insufficient validation across other components in the software supply chain.