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MusescoreApplication

CVE-2023-44428

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
MuseScore CAP File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of MuseScore. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of CAP files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-20769.

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 confidence

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in MuseScore's CAP file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying to a heap-allocated buffer. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted CAP file.

MitigationUpdate MuseScore to the latest version once the vendor releases a patch. Alternatively, avoid opening CAP files from untrusted sources and disable file associations for CAP files in the application until patched.

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
MusescoreApplication
Affected:= 4.0.2.230651553

CVSS 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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if MuseScore is installed
    Run 'mscore --version' or look for MuseScore in installed applications
    Affected if MuseScore is installed and the version matches 4.0.2.230651553
  2. Verify CAP file support is enabled
    Check File > Preferences > General > File Associations for CAP file type, or check if .cap files open automatically with MuseScore
    Affected if CAP file association is enabled and MuseScore opens CAP files by default
  3. Confirm CAP file handling is active
    Attempt to open any .cap file or check recent files list for CAP files, or inspect MuseScore's import modules
    Affected if MuseScore processes or can process CAP files and the CAP parser module is loaded
  4. Check running process environment
    Review any recent opened CAP files in the application's recent documents or logs
    Affected if User has recently opened CAP files or has CAP files associated with the application

A user is affected if they have MuseScore version 4.0.2.230651553 installed AND have CAP file associations enabled, as the vulnerability requires opening a crafted CAP file to trigger the heap overflow in the CAP parser.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update MuseScore to the latest version once the vendor releases a patch. Alternatively, avoid opening CAP files from untrusted sources and disable file associations for CAP files in the application until patched.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

MuseScore 4.x latest stable release (greater than 4.0.2)

  1. 1. Backup any existing MuseScore files and settings
  2. 2. Uninstall the current version of MuseScore (4.0.2)
  3. 3. Download the latest stable release of MuseScore 4.x from the official website (https://www.musescore.com/)
  4. 4. Install the new version
  5. 5. Verify the installation completed successfully by checking the version number in Help > About
Caveat Review release notes for any breaking changes between 4.0.2 and the target version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Musescore Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,100
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-44428 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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