CVE-2017-11547
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 resample_gauss function in resample.c in TiMidity++ 2.14.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer over-read) via a crafted mid file. NOTE: a crash might be relevant when using the --background option. NOTE: the TiMidity++ README.alsaseq documentation suggests a setuid-root installation.
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 heap-based buffer over-read vulnerability exists in TiMidity++ 2.14.0's resample_gauss function in resample.c. When processing a specially crafted MIDI file, the function reads beyond allocated heap memory boundaries, leading to a denial of service via crash. This occurs specifically during the audio resampling process when handling malformed audio data.
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= 2.14.0CVSS 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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Detect if TiMidity++ is installedCheck for the TiMidity++ binary: run 'which timidity' or 'timidity --version' on Linux/Unix systems. On Windows, check Program Files for timidity.exe.Affected if TiMidity++ is not installed on the system
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Verify the installed version is 2.14.0Run 'timidity --version' and compare the output to version 2.14.0. The vulnerability applies specifically to this version.Affected if The installed version is exactly 2.14.0
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Confirm MIDI processing capability is availableCheck if TiMidity++ was compiled with MIDI support by running 'timidity -ig' (interactive GUI mode) or checking configuration files in /etc/timidity or /usr/local/etc/timidity.cfg.Affected if MIDI processing features are compiled in and accessible
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Identify if untrusted MIDI files are processedReview any scripts, applications, or services that invoke TiMidity++ to process MIDI files. Check for automated MIDI file processing pipelines or file upload handling that uses TiMidity++.Affected if TiMidity++ is used to process MIDI files, especially from untrusted sources
A user is affected if TiMidity++ version 2.14.0 is installed and used to process MIDI files, as the heap buffer over-read occurs in the resample_gauss function during audio resampling of malformed MIDI input.
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 TiMidity++ to a version that patches this vulnerability. Until then, avoid processing untrusted MIDI files and do not run with elevated privileges (setuid-root). If the --background option is used, ensure proper sandboxing.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-11547 — 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-2017-11547 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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