CVE-2017-11549
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 play_midi function in playmidi.c in TiMidity++ 2.14.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (large loop and CPU consumption) via a crafted mid file. NOTE: CPU consumption might be relevant when using the --background option.
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 confidenceIn TiMidity++ 2.14.0, the play_midi function in playmidi.c contains a vulnerability where a crafted MIDI file can trigger an uncontrolled large loop, causing excessive CPU consumption. This leads to denial of service, particularly severe when the application runs with the --background option where the loop continues unchecked.
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.
-
Check TiMidity++ versionRun 'timidity --version' or 'timidity -v' to display the installed version numberAffected if The version displayed is exactly 2.14.0
-
Verify binary package versionCheck installed package version using system package manager (dpkg -l timidity++, rpm -qi timidity++, or pacman -Q timidity++ depending on Linux distribution)Affected if Package version lists 2.14.0
-
Confirm vulnerable binary existsLocate the timidity binary with 'which timidity' or 'where timidity' and verify it was built from the 2.14.0 sourceAffected if The binary is version 2.14.0 and the playmidi.c source file was used during compilation
-
Check for background executionReview process command line or startup scripts for timidity execution with the --background or -B optionAffected if TiMidity++ is running with --background option and processes a crafted MIDI file
You are affected if TiMidity++ version 2.14.0 is installed and processes MIDI files, with increased severity if running with the --background option.
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 dataImplement input validation and loop bound checking on MIDI file parsing to prevent unbounded iteration. Consider adding timeout mechanisms or resource limits for MIDI playback operations. Users should avoid processing untrusted MIDI files and consider upgrading if a patched version is available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-11549 — 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-2017-11549 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data