CVE-2026-66039
Received Received - Intake

Heap Overflow in FFmpeg MACE6 Audio Decoder

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-66039, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-07-24

Last updated on: 2026-07-24

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

FFmpeg through 8.1.2, fixed in commit aafb5c6, contains a signed integer overflow vulnerability in the MACE6 audio decoder that allows attackers to corrupt heap memory by supplying a crafted CAF file with a malicious bytes_per_packet value. Attackers can craft a CAF file with oversized bytes_per_packet and frames_per_packet values in the desc chunk to trigger an integer overflow in mace_decode_frame() during output sample count computation, resulting in an undersized buffer allocation and heap out-of-bounds write that could enable code execution.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-24
Last Modified
2026-07-24
Generated
2026-07-25
AI Q&A
2026-07-24
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
ffmpeg ffmpeg to 8.1.2 (inc)
ffmpeg ffmpeg to 8.1.2 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-190 The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.
CWE-122 A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a signed integer overflow in FFmpeg's MACE6 audio decoder. It occurs when processing a crafted CAF file with malicious bytes_per_packet and frames_per_packet values. This triggers an overflow in mace_decode_frame() during output sample count computation, leading to an undersized buffer allocation and a heap out-of-bounds write. The flaw could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking for vulnerable FFmpeg versions and analyzing CAF files for malicious bytes_per_packet and frames_per_packet values. Inspect FFmpeg version with 'ffmpeg -version' and look for versions <= 8.1.2. Scan files using 'ffmpeg -i input.caf' to check for crashes or errors during processing.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this by tricking you into opening a specially crafted audio file. This could lead to system compromise, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on your machine. The impact includes potential data theft, malware installation, or unauthorized system access.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized code execution, potentially exposing sensitive data processed by FFmpeg. For GDPR, it may result in data breaches requiring notification under Article 33. For HIPAA, it could compromise protected health information integrity, leading to violations of the Security Rule.

Mitigation Strategies

Update FFmpeg to the latest version or apply the patch from commit aafb5c6. Avoid processing untrusted CAF files. Implement file validation to block malformed files. Monitor systems for unusual activity post-file processing.

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