CVE-2026-17513 in whisper.cpp
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2026
A vulnerability was found in ggml-org whisper.cpp 95ea8f9b. Affected is the function ggml_ftype_to_ggml_type of the file ggml/src/ggml.c. The manipulation of the argument ftype results in reachable assertion. The attack requires a local approach. The project was informed of the problem early through an issue report but has not responded yet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2026
The vulnerability in ggml-org whisper.cpp represents a critical assertion failure within the ggml library's type conversion functionality. This flaw exists in the function ggml_ftype_to_ggml_type located in ggml/src/ggml.c at commit 95ea8f9b, where improper handling of the ftype argument parameter leads to an exploitable assertion violation. The issue demonstrates a classic buffer overflow vulnerability pattern where insufficient input validation allows malicious data to trigger internal assertions that terminate program execution or potentially enable further exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-617, which specifically addresses reachable assertions in software systems. This classification indicates that the assertion failure creates an exploitable condition that could be leveraged by attackers who have local access to the system. The attack vector requires local privilege escalation since the vulnerability is not remotely accessible but rather depends on an attacker having direct system access or the ability to execute code within the application's execution context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple program termination, as assertion failures in cryptographic and machine learning libraries like whisper.cpp can create denial-of-service conditions that disrupt critical audio processing workflows. In environments where whisper.cpp serves as a backend component for speech recognition systems, this flaw could result in system instability and service interruption. The vulnerability's local nature means that exploitation requires either physical access to the target system or the ability to run malicious code with the same privileges as the legitimate application.
From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion through process manipulation. The assertion failure could potentially be used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, particularly in environments where multiple applications depend on the same underlying library. The lack of response from the project maintainers creates additional operational risk as organizations continue to use vulnerable versions without official patches or mitigation guidance.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the affected library version, implementation of input validation controls within applications that utilize whisper.cpp, and monitoring for assertion failure patterns in system logs. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries or address space layout randomization to reduce exploitation success rates. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date dependencies and establishing proper vulnerability disclosure processes with open source projects to ensure timely resolution of security issues.