# CVE-2021-23172: Memory corruption in SoX (Sound eXchange)

> A heap-buffer-overflow in SoX allows attackers to crash the application via a crafted hcom file, impacting systems using this audio processing library.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Aug 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-43585, AZL-44781, DEBIAN-CVE-2021-23172, GHSA-mw59-4c4c-6hhr, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-23172

## What is CVE-2021-23172?

CVE-2021-23172 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in SoX (Sound eXchange), published on 25 Aug 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability was found in SoX, where a heap-buffer-overflow occurs in function startread() in hcom.c file. The vulnerability is exploitable with a crafted hcomn file, that could cause an application to crash.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-23172?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sound Exchange Project Sound Exchange.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-23172?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-23172 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-23172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SoX (Sound eXchange)

- [CVE-2021-40426](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40426/): Memory corruption in libsox (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-3643](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3643/): Information disclosure in sox (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2021-23159](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23159/): Memory corruption in SoX (Sound eXchange) (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2021-23210](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23210/): Denial of service in SoX (Sound eXchange) (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2021-33844](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33844/): Denial of service in SoX (Sound eXchange) (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-23172 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-23172 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in SoX (Sound eXchange), published on 25 Aug 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-23172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SoX (Sound eXchange). No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23172/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23172/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-23172
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23172
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-23172

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23172/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.