CVE-2026-122328
Description
A flaw was found in SDL_mixer. A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the WAV audio decoder when processing audio streams compressed with A-law or mu-law formats. By enticing a user or application to process a specially crafted WAV file, an attacker could overwrite stack memory, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or an application crash resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
Red Hat has rated this vulnerability as Important because memory corruption on the stack could allow arbitrary code execution with the permissions of the application processing the audio, although successful exploitation requires user interaction to open an untrusted file. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, SDL_mixer is not utilized by core system services and is generally invoked only by multimedia or desktop software handling local media files. Consequently, risk is largely restricted to workstation and client deployments where users open untrusted audio inputs.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
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