CVE-2017-11358

SoX (Sound eXchange) is a tool that reads and converts audio files. This bug lets a specially made audio file trick SoX into reading bad memory and crashing.

Think of it like a malformed file that confuses a music player until it “falls over,” disrupting whatever conversion/import step your business relies on.

This matters if you run SoX to open or convert HCOM files that could be provided by others (customers, uploads, email attachments, or third-party sources). If you never handle untrusted HCOM files, the practical risk is much lower.

This is only a risk if someone has a way to get a crafted HCOM file onto the machine where SoX is run (local execution), since it requires local access to execute SoX on that file; there is no need for the attacker to be authenticated to the system.

This is an AMBER issue because public exploits exist and the bug can be triggered by a malicious file to crash the application. While it’s not known to be listed as a CISA KEV case, the likelihood of attempts is elevated (and the trend is rising).

Act on it soon—especially if your business processes untrusted HCOM audio—because a crash can disrupt conversions or imports immediately when a bad file is processed.