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Stb Vorbis.cApplication · Nothings

CVE-2023-45675

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-21
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
stb_vorbis is a single file MIT licensed library for processing ogg vorbis files. A crafted file may trigger out of bounds write in `f->vendor[len] = (char)'\0';`. The root cause is that if the len read in `start_decoder` is `-1` and `len + 1` becomes 0 when passed to `setup_malloc`. The `setup_malloc` behaves differently when `f->alloc.alloc_buffer` is pre-allocated. Instead of returning `NULL` as in `malloc` case it shifts the pre-allocated buffer by zero and returns the currently available memory block. This issue may lead to code execution.

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

stb_vorbis library contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the start_decoder function. When processing a crafted Ogg Vorbis file with len=-1, the calculation len+1=0 causes setup_malloc to behave differently with pre-allocated buffers versus malloc—returning an available memory block instead of NULL, leading to memory corruption and potential code execution.

MitigationUpdate stb_vorbis to a patched version that properly validates the length parameter and handles the zero-size allocation case. If update is not possible, avoid using pre-allocated buffers and implement input validation on Ogg Vorbis files before processing.

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
Stb Vorbis.cApplication
Affected:= 1.22

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:3.1/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. Locate stb_vorbis.c in your codebase
    Search your project files for 'stb_vorbis.c' or 'stb_vorbis.h'. Check the file header comments for version information near the top of the source file.
    Affected if The file exists and the version is exactly 1.22, or the version string is not visible but the file is present in a project using stb_vorbis.
  2. Identify if pre-allocated buffer mode is used
    Search your code for calls to stb_vorbis_open_memory or stb_vorbis_alloc. Look for patterns where a stb_vorbis_alloc structure is populated and passed to stb_vorbis_open functions, indicating pre-allocated memory is being used rather than default malloc behavior.
    Affected if Your code uses stb_vorbis_open_memory or manually allocates a stb_vorbis_alloc structure and passes it to stb_vorbis functions, enabling the pre-allocated buffer code path.
  3. Check for Ogg Vorbis file input handling
    Search for code paths that call stb_vorbis functions like stb_vorbis_open_filename, stb_vorbis_open_memory, or stb_vorbis_decode_file with external input.
    Affected if Your application processes Ogg Vorbis files from external or untrusted sources through stb_vorbis.
  4. Review version in dependency manifests
    Check package managers, dependency files (like package.json, conanfile.txt, CMakeLists.txt), or submodule references for stb_vorbis version 1.22.
    Affected if Your dependency manifest specifies stb_vorbis version 1.22 specifically.

You are affected if stb_vorbis version 1.22 is in use AND your code processes Ogg Vorbis files using pre-allocated buffers via stb_vorbis_alloc or stb_vorbis_open_memory.

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 stb_vorbis to a patched version that properly validates the length parameter and handles the zero-size allocation case. If update is not possible, avoid using pre-allocated buffers and implement input validation on Ogg Vorbis files before processing.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

latest stable release of stb_vorbis from github.com/nothings/stb (post-CVE-2023-45675 fix)

  1. 1. Identify all files in your project that include stb_vorbis.c (or stb_vorbis.h) version 1.22
  2. 2. Locate the stb_vorbis source on the official repository at github.com/nothings/stb
  3. 3. Download or clone the latest version of stb_vorbis.c (or stb_vorbis.h) from the repository
  4. 4. Replace the vulnerable stb_vorbis.c version 1.22 with the latest version in your project
  5. 5. Rebuild and test your application to ensure the library functions correctly with the updated code
Caveat stb_vorbis is a single-header library; ensure no local modifications are lost during replacement and verify any downstream integration tests pass

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

Fix this in Stb Vorbis.c Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2023-45675 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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