CVE-2015-9100
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 fill_buffer_resample function in util.c in libmp3lame.a in LAME 3.99.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a crafted audio file.
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 · high confidenceA NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the fill_buffer_resample function in util.c of libmp3lame.a in LAME 3.99.5. When processing a specially crafted audio file, the function attempts to dereference a NULL pointer, causing the application to crash and resulting in a denial of service.
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 installed LAME library versionRun 'lame --version' or check the library file version using 'file libmp3lame.a' or 'strings libmp3lame.a | grep -i version'. On systems with dpkg/rpm, run 'dpkg -l | grep lame' or 'rpm -qa | grep lame'.Affected if The version displayed is 3.99.5 exactly, indicating the vulnerable release is installed.
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Locate the libmp3lame librarySearch for libmp3lame.a or libmp3lame.so files on the system using 'find /usr -name "libmp3lame*" 2>/dev/null' or 'locate libmp3lame'.Affected if The library file exists, confirming LAME is present and available for audio processing.
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Verify the vulnerable function existsCheck the util.c source file or inspect the compiled library for the fill_buffer_resample function using 'nm libmp3lame.a | grep fill_buffer_resample' or 'strings libmp3lame.a | grep fill_buffer_resample'.Affected if The function symbol is present, indicating the vulnerable code path exists in the installed library.
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Determine if audio file processing is enabledReview application configuration or code that uses LAME to see if mp3 encoding/decoding with resampling is performed. Check for calls to lame_encode_buffer or related functions that exercise the resampling path.Affected if The application uses LAME's encoding or decoding functions with resampling enabled, which would invoke the vulnerable fill_buffer_resample code.
A system is affected if LAME version 3.99.5 is installed AND applications process audio files through the library's resampling functionality, allowing specially crafted files to trigger the NULL pointer dereference.
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 dataUpdate LAME library to a patched version that addresses the NULL pointer dereference in fill_buffer_resample. Implement input validation on audio files before processing to reject malformed files that could trigger the vulnerability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-9100 — 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-2015-9100 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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