CVE-2017-11550 : What You Need to Know

A crafted mp3 file can lead to a denial of service (NULL Pointer Dereference and application crash) in libid3tag 0.15.1b through the id3_ucs4_length function in ucs4.c when exploited by remote attackers.

Understanding CVE-2017-11550

The id3_ucs4_length function in ucs4.c in libid3tag 0.15.1b allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL Pointer Dereference and application crash) via a crafted mp3 file.

What is CVE-2017-11550?

CVE-2017-11550 is a vulnerability in libid3tag 0.15.1b that can be exploited by remote attackers using a specially crafted mp3 file to trigger a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2017-11550

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to cause a NULL Pointer Dereference and application crash.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-11550

The technical details of the CVE-2017-11550 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

Vulnerability Type: Denial of Service (NULL Pointer Dereference and application crash)

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Version: libid3tag 0.15.1b

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by using a crafted mp3 file.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2017-11550, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Avoid opening or playing untrusted mp3 files.
Implement network-level protections to filter out potentially malicious mp3 files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Keep software and libraries up to date to patch known vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates provided by the software vendor to address this vulnerability.