Source: cve@mitre.org
TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a long string in an MP3 file, possibly a buffer overflow.
TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0 is vulnerable to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack due to a buffer overflow vulnerability. Attackers can remotely crash the application by crafting a malicious MP3 file containing an excessively long string, rendering the player unusable and potentially disrupting operations.
Step 1: Payload Creation: The attacker crafts a malicious MP3 file. This file contains a string, likely within the ID3 tag metadata (e.g., artist, title, album), that is significantly longer than the buffer allocated to store it.
Step 2: File Delivery: The attacker delivers the malicious MP3 file to the victim. This could be achieved through various means, such as email, shared network drives, or social engineering.
Step 3: File Opening: The victim opens the malicious MP3 file using TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0.
Step 4: Vulnerability Trigger: The player attempts to read and parse the MP3 file's metadata, including the oversized string.
Step 5: Buffer Overflow: The player's parsing function attempts to copy the oversized string into a fixed-size buffer, causing a buffer overflow.
Step 6: Application Crash: The buffer overflow overwrites critical memory locations, leading to a crash of the TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0 application and a denial of service.
The vulnerability stems from a buffer overflow within TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0. The software fails to properly validate the size of data read from an MP3 file's metadata, specifically when parsing a string. When an attacker provides an MP3 file with a string exceeding the allocated buffer size, the application attempts to write beyond the buffer's boundaries. This overwrites adjacent memory locations, leading to a crash and denial of service. The root cause is likely a missing or inadequate bounds check on the string length during the MP3 file parsing process. The specific function responsible for parsing the MP3 file's metadata, such as the ID3 tag, is the likely location of the flaw.
Due to the age of the vulnerability and the specific software targeted, it's unlikely to be directly associated with any specific Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. However, any threat actor could leverage this vulnerability if they identify its presence in a target environment. Not listed on CISA KEV.
Monitor network traffic for the transfer of MP3 files, especially from untrusted sources.
Analyze crash dumps generated by the application for evidence of buffer overflows.
Implement file integrity monitoring to detect any unauthorized modifications to the TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0 executable or related files.
Use a host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) to monitor for suspicious activity, such as unexpected application crashes or memory corruption.
Examine system logs for application crashes and error messages related to memory access violations.
Use a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) to detect the transfer of malicious MP3 files, by scanning for unusually large metadata fields within the MP3 file headers.
The primary remediation is to uninstall TomatoSoft Free Mp3 Player 1.0. This is the most effective way to eliminate the vulnerability.
If removal is not possible, upgrade to a patched version of the software, if one exists (unlikely).
Implement application whitelisting to prevent the execution of unauthorized software, including potentially malicious MP3 players.
Educate users about the risks of opening files from untrusted sources and the importance of verifying the source of files before opening them.
Implement a defense-in-depth strategy, including network segmentation and regular security audits.
Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) to filter malicious requests.