CVE-2015-9099
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe lame_init_params function in lame.c in libmp3lame.a in LAME 3.99.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid read and application crash) via a crafted audio file with a negative sample rate.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA denial of service vulnerability exists in LAME 3.99.5's lame_init_params function in libmp3lame.a. When processing a crafted audio file containing a negative sample rate value, the function performs an invalid read operation, causing the application to crash.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 3.99.5CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed LAME library versionRun 'lame --version' or check the library file version (e.g., libmp3lame.so.0) using 'file' or 'strings' commands. If built from source, check the version in the source directory or the compiled binary.Affected if The version is exactly 3.99.5
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Confirm the presence of the vulnerable lame_init_params functionCheck if the application links against libmp3lame.a or libmp3lame.so from LAME 3.99.5 by running 'ldd <executable>' or examining the build configuration.Affected if The application links against the LAME 3.99.5 library containing the vulnerable function
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Determine if the application processes untrusted audio inputReview application logs, configuration files, or source code to identify if it accepts audio files from external sources (user uploads, network streams, or files from untrusted paths).Affected if The application accepts and processes audio files from untrusted or external sources without prior validation
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Inspect file processing code for sample rate validationExamine the code that calls lame_init_params to see if sample rate values are validated before being passed to the function. Look for checks that reject negative or invalid sample rates.Affected if Sample rate values from audio files are passed directly to lame_init_params without validation against negative or invalid values
You are affected if you use LAME version 3.99.5 and your application processes audio files from untrusted sources without validating sample rate values before calling lame_init_params.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataValidate audio file parameters (specifically sample rate) before passing them to lame_init_params; ensure negative or invalid sample rates are rejected. Consider upgrading to a patched version of LAME if available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-9099 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-9099 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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