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CVE Record

CVE-2018-10538: An issue was discovered in WavPack 5.1.0 and earlier for WAV input.

An issue was discovered in WavPack 5.1.0 and earlier for WAV input. Out-of-bounds writes can occur because ParseRiffHeaderConfig in riff.c does not validate the sizes of unknown chunks before attempting memory allocation, related to a lack of integer-overflow protection within a bytes_to_copy calculation and subsequent malloc call, leading to insufficient memory allocation.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2018-10538 is a memory-safety flaw in WavPack 5.1.0 and earlier when handling WAV files. A specially formed WAV input can trigger out-of-bounds writes because chunk sizes are not safely validated before allocation. Business risk is highest where untrusted audio files are processed automatically.

Executive priority

Treat as a focused patching item for systems that ingest audio. It is not KEV-listed in the supplied data, but memory corruption in file parsers can become serious where untrusted files are processed at scale.

Technical view

In WavPack 5.1.0 and earlier, ParseRiffHeaderConfig in riff.c fails to validate unknown RIFF chunk sizes and lacks integer-overflow protection in bytes_to_copy. The resulting malloc can allocate too little memory, followed by an out-of-bounds write during WAV input parsing.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely in servers, desktop tools, pipelines, or packages that use vulnerable WavPack versions to parse WAV files. Risk increases when users, customers, or automated feeds can supply audio files.

Exploitation context

The provided sources do not show active exploitation, and KEV status is false. The condition requires processing a malformed WAV input through affected WavPack code. Public references include the upstream issue, upstream commit, and Linux distribution advisories.

Researcher notes

Evidence supports an out-of-bounds write caused by integer overflow and insufficient allocation in WAV RIFF parsing. The bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, proof of exploitation, or a full impact statement beyond memory corruption.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade WavPack using vendor packages or upstream fixes.
  • Prioritize systems that process untrusted audio files automatically.
  • Check Debian, Ubuntu, Slackware, and Fedora advisories for packaged fixes.
  • Limit or sandbox audio conversion jobs until patched.
  • Reject unexpected WAV uploads where WavPack parsing is unnecessary.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory WavPack versions on endpoints, servers, containers, and build images.
  • Identify applications or pipelines that call WavPack on WAV input.
  • Confirm installed packages include the referenced vendor security updates.
  • Review dependency manifests for bundled or statically linked WavPack copies.
  • Test remediation in staging with normal WAV processing workflows.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
8

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
8Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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