Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian
CVE-2017-14634
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 · uneditedIn libsndfile 1.0.28, a divide-by-zero error exists in the function double64_init() in double64.c, which may lead to DoS when playing 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 divide-by-zero vulnerability exists in libsndfile 1.0.28's double64_init() function in double64.c. When parsing a crafted audio file containing specially crafted double64 format audio data, the function attempts to divide by zero, causing the application to crash and resulting in 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
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 8.0= 1.0.28CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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 libsndfile installation and versionRun 'dpkg -l libsndfile1' on Debian systems, or 'sndfile-info --version' if the utility is installed, or check the shared library with 'ldd <application> | grep sndfile' to see if libsndfile is loadedAffected if The installed version is exactly 1.0.28
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Confirm the application uses libsndfile for audio processingCheck which audio libraries the application links against using 'ldd <path-to-application>' and look for libsndfile, or check application dependencies with 'dpkg -s <package-name>'Affected if The application loads or links against libsndfile version 1.0.28
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Determine if double64 audio format processing occursInspect the application's audio file handling code or configuration to see if it processes or accepts double64 format audio files, or test with a known double64 audio file using 'sndfile-info <audiofile>' to see format capabilityAffected if The application is configured to process or might receive double64 format audio files (64-bit double-precision float audio)
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Check the specific vulnerable code pathVerify the double64.c source file version in libsndfile installation: locate the library files with 'find /usr -name "libsndfile*"' then inspect the binary or source if availableAffected if The double64.c in use corresponds to the unpatched libsndfile 1.0.28 release
You are affected if libsndfile version 1.0.28 is installed and your application or system processes double64 format audio files using that library.
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 libsndfile to a patched version. Until then, validate audio files before processing, run audio parsing in sandboxed or isolated environments, and implement crash handling to prevent application termination.
Fix this in Debian Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-14634 — 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-2017-14634 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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