Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2021-40426

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of...

10.0 CriticalFix available

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

2.05%Up 1.2 points since Apr 15, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 10.0

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.0
10.0 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-122
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-27603 10.0

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
EUVD-2021-27603
CVSS 3.0
10.0 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-5x4j-m9qh-g9w5 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of...

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
GHSA-5x4j-m9qh-g9w5
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-122, CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 3.0
10.0 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
6.8 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-122, CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2021-40426 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-03
OSV 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 7 moreShow less
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2021-40426 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2021-40426 8.8

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the sphere.c start_read() functionality of Sound Exchange libsox 14.4.2 and master commit 42b3557e. A specially-crafted file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2021-40426
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 3.0
10.0 CriticalCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2023-0059 No score

Updated sox packages fix security vulnerability

CVE-2019-13590: sox-fmt validation CVE-2021-3643 and CVE-2021-23210: voc validation CVE-2021-23159 and CVE-2021-23172: hcom validation CVE-2021-33844: wav validation CVE-2021-40426: sphere validation CVE-2022-31650: aiff validation CVE-2022-31651: reject implausible rate

Record
MGASA-2023-0059
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2023:0328-1 No score

Security update for sox

This update for sox fixes the following issues:

  • Apply various fix patches taken from Debian package; it fixes also other entries (CVE-2022-31650 boo#1212060 CVE-2023-34318 boo#1212062 CVE-2023-34432 boo#1212063)
  • Fix floating point exception in src/voc.c (CVE-2023-32627 boo#1212061)
Record
openSUSE-SU-2023:0328-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2023:0329-1 No score

Security update for sox

This update for sox fixes the following issues:

  • Apply various fix patches taken from Debian package; it fixes also other entries (CVE-2022-31650 boo#1212060 CVE-2023-34318 boo#1212062 CVE-2023-34432 boo#1212063)
  • Fix floating point exception in src/voc.c (CVE-2023-32627 boo#1212061)
Record
openSUSE-SU-2023:0329-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:13359-1 No score

libsox3-14.4.2-8.1 on GA media

These are all security issues fixed in the libsox3-14.4.2-8.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.

Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:13359-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-5904-1 No score

sox vulnerabilities

Helmut Grohne discovered that SoX incorrectly handled certain inputs. If a user or an automated system were tricked into opening a specially crafted input file, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 ESM, Ubuntu 16.04 ESM, and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. (CVE-2019-13590)

Helmut Grohne discovered that SoX incorrectly handled certain inputs. If a user or an automated system were tricked into opening a specially crafted input file, a remote attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2021-23159, CVE-2021-23172, CVE-2021-23210, CVE-2021-33844, CVE-2021-3643, CVE-2021-40426, CVE-2022-31650, and CVE-2022-31651)

Record
USN-5904-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
sox
Alpine:v3.18
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.19
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.20
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.21
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.22
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.23
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Alpine:v3.24
 before 14.4.2-r10
14.4.2-r10
sox
Debian:12
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-3.1
14.4.2+git20190427-3.1
sox
Debian:13
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-3.1
14.4.2+git20190427-3.1
sox
Debian:10
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-1+deb10u1, plus listed versions
14.4.2+git20190427-1
14.4.2+git20190427-1+deb10u1
Show 12 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
sox
Debian:11
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1, plus listed versions
14.4.2+git20190427-2
14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1
sox
Mageia:8
 before 14.4.3-0.git20200117.3.1.mga8
14.4.3-0.git20200117.3.1.mga8
sox
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
 before 14.4.1-3ubuntu1.1+esm2, plus listed versions
14.4.1-314.4.1-3ubuntu114.4.1-3ubuntu1.114.4.1-3ubuntu1.1+esm1
14.4.1-3ubuntu1.1+esm2
sox
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS
 before 14.4.1-5+deb8u4ubuntu0.1+esm1, plus listed versions
14.4.1-514.4.1-5ubuntu0.114.4.1-5ubuntu0.1+esm114.4.1-5+deb8u4ubuntu0.1
14.4.1-5+deb8u4ubuntu0.1+esm1
sox
Ubuntu:18.04:LTS
 before 14.4.2-3ubuntu0.18.04.2, plus listed versions
14.4.1-5build114.4.2-214.4.2-314.4.2-3ubuntu0.18.04.1
14.4.2-3ubuntu0.18.04.2
sox
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1build0.20.04.1, plus listed versions
14.4.2+git20190427-1build114.4.2+git20190427-2
14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1build0.20.04.1
sox
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
 before 14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1build0.22.04.1, plus listed versions
14.4.2+git20190427-2
14.4.2+git20190427-2+deb11u1build0.22.04.1
sox
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP4
 before 14.4.2-bp154.2.3.1
14.4.2-bp154.2.3.1
sox
openSUSE:Leap 15.4
 before 14.4.2-bp154.2.3.1
14.4.2-bp154.2.3.1
sox
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP5
 before 14.4.2-bp155.3.3.1
14.4.2-bp155.3.3.1
sox
openSUSE:Leap 15.5
 before 14.4.2-bp155.3.3.1
14.4.2-bp155.3.3.1
sox
openSUSE:Tumbleweed
 before 14.4.2-8.1
14.4.2-8.1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, aliases, referencesOSV
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2021-40426 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 10.0) in Sound Exchange Libsox, published April 14, 2022. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.05%, the 81st percentile. Fixed in sox 14.4.2-r10.

References

Show 32 moreShow less
Pages All vulnerabilities Browse Docs Sources Guide Get API key
MoveEnter Open