CVE-2026-121429 in AzuraCast
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2026
AzuraCast through 0.23.8 contains a command injection vulnerability that allows station users with Profile permission to execute OS commands via StereoTool settings. Attackers can inject shell metacharacters into stereo_tool_configuration_path or stereo_tool_license_key, which are executed via /bin/sh on station restart, compromising the container.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2026
The AzuraCast platform, specifically versions up through 0.23.8, suffers from a critical command injection vulnerability that stems from insufficient input validation within its radio station management interface. This flaw is particularly concerning because it can be exploited by authenticated users who possess only the Profile permission level, which typically grants limited access to personal account settings rather than administrative controls. The root cause lies in how the application handles configuration parameters for StereoTool, a popular audio processing software used in broadcasting environments. When a user modifies their station's profile or specific stereo tool configurations, the system directly incorporates these inputs into shell commands without proper sanitization or escaping of special characters.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability involves two primary input fields: stereo_tool_configuration_path and stereo_tool_license_key. These parameters are intended to store file paths and license identifiers respectively. However, when a station is restarted following configuration changes, the application constructs system-level commands using /bin/sh to apply these settings. Because shell metacharacters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks are not filtered out by the backend logic, an attacker can craft malicious input strings that break out of the intended command context. For instance, injecting a sequence like ; rm -rf / into one of these fields results in the operating system executing arbitrary commands alongside the legitimate StereoTool initialization process during the station restart cycle.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and extends beyond simple data exposure or service disruption. Since AzuraCast often runs within containerized environments such as Docker, successful exploitation allows an attacker to achieve remote code execution with the privileges associated with the application's runtime user. In many default configurations, this user may have elevated permissions relative to other services on the host system, potentially allowing lateral movement across the network or complete compromise of the underlying virtual machine or physical server hosting the radio station infrastructure. This level of access enables attackers to exfiltrate sensitive broadcast data, install persistent backdoors, or use the compromised node as a pivot point for further attacks against connected systems.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The most effective solution is to upgrade AzuraCast to version 0.24.9 or later, where this specific input validation flaw has been patched by properly sanitizing user-supplied data before it is passed to the shell interpreter. For environments that cannot immediately update due to compatibility constraints, administrators should restrict Profile permissions to trusted individuals only and consider implementing network-level access controls such as firewalls to limit exposure of the web interface. Additionally, running AzuraCast with minimal required privileges in a restricted container environment can help mitigate the blast radius if an exploitation attempt occurs.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command commonly known as OS Command Injection. The attack vector leverages user interaction to inject malicious payloads into system commands, which is further categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter when considering the execution phase via /bin/sh. Security teams should also review their container orchestration policies to ensure that even if command injection occurs, the ability of the compromised process to interact with other containers or host resources remains strictly limited through principles of least privilege and network segmentation.