Out-of-Bounds Memory Access in FFmpeg ADX Audio Decoder

Executive Summary

This is an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability in FFmpeg versions 4.4 through 8.1.2 affecting the ADX audio decoder. Attackers can exploit it by providing a crafted ADX or AAX audio file that changes channel layout mid-stream. The decoder fails to update internal channel state after re-parsing the header, causing memory corruption through invalid reads and writes.

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Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires analyzing FFmpeg versions and processing suspicious audio files. Check FFmpeg version with 'ffmpeg -version' and look for versions 4.4 through 8.1.2. Monitor for crashes or memory corruption when processing ADX/AAX files. Use tools like Valgrind to detect out-of-bounds memory access during audio decoding.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to execute arbitrary code, crash applications, or leak sensitive memory when processing malicious audio files. Users processing untrusted media files are most at risk, as simply opening a crafted file could trigger the vulnerability.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could potentially lead to unauthorized memory access, which may result in data leaks or corruption. For GDPR, this could impact data integrity and confidentiality requirements. For HIPAA, it might compromise protected health information integrity if exploited during audio processing.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update FFmpeg to version 8.1.3 or later. Avoid processing untrusted ADX or AAX audio files until patched. Implement network monitoring to block or quarantine suspicious media files. Disable ADX/AAX decoding if not required for operations.

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