CVE-2023-45680
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 · uneditedstb_vorbis is a single file MIT licensed library for processing ogg vorbis files. A crafted file may trigger memory allocation failure in `start_decoder`. In that case the function returns early, the `f->comment_list` is set to `NULL`, but `f->comment_list_length` is not reset. Later in `vorbis_deinit` it tries to dereference the `NULL` pointer. This issue may lead to denial of service.
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 stb_vorbis, when processing a crafted ogg vorbis file that causes memory allocation failure in start_decoder, the f->comment_list pointer is set to NULL but f->comment_list_length is not reset. Later when vorbis_deinit runs, it attempts to dereference the NULL comment_list pointer using the non-zero length value, causing a NULL pointer dereference and 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= 1.22CVSS 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:3.1/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.
-
Identify stb_vorbis.c in your environmentSearch your codebase, dependencies, or compiled binaries for the stb_vorbis library. Check for the presence of stb_vorbis.c or stb_vorbis.h files, or look for linked stb_vorbis symbols in compiled binaries.Affected if stb_vorbis.c is present in your application or its dependencies
-
Check the stb_vorbis versionLook for a version definition in stb_vorbis.c, typically found near the top of the file as a version number or STB_VORBIS_VERSION macro. Compare this to version 1.22.Affected if The version is exactly 1.22
-
Identify if your application processes OGG Vorbis filesSearch your codebase for calls to stb_vorbis opening functions such as stb_vorbis_open_filename, stb_vorbis_open_memory, stb_vorbis_open_file, or stb_vorbis_open_flush_push. Review any file input handling that loads OGG audio files.Affected if Your application calls stb_vorbis functions to process OGG/Vorbis audio files
-
Determine if untrusted OGG files can reach stb_vorbisAudit your application's file input paths. Check whether user-supplied, network-supplied, or otherwise untrusted OGG files are passed to stb_vorbis functions without prior validation of file size or resource limits.Affected if Untrusted or user-controlled OGG files can be processed by the application
You are affected if your environment uses stb_vorbis version 1.22 and processes OGG Vorbis files from untrusted sources that could trigger memory allocation failures during decoder initialization.
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 to a patched version of stb_vorbis that properly resets comment_list_length to zero when memory allocation fails in start_decoder, or validate input file sizes before processing to prevent allocation failures.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-45680 — 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-2023-45680 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