Software Engineering Institute

Nullsoft's WinAmp Player, a popular multimedia system for Microsoft Windows, contains a flaw in the handling of the metadata (called "tags") contained within .mpa and .mp4 files. Invalid data within these files could crash WinAmp.

WinAmp is susceptible to a remote Denial of Service flaw if maliciously crafted .mp4 or .mpa files are loaded. This flaw could cause WinAmp to unexpectedly crash. Also, the flaw may be exploited in combination with the default setting for some web browsers to automatically open WinAmp playlist (.pls, .m3u) files without prompting. A malicious playlist, with pointers to remote files on the Internet, may be embedded in a web page specifically crafted to automatically load the playlist. As such, a user may unintentionally load a flawed mpa or .mp4 file by following an innocuous web link.

WinAmp may crash, resulting in a denial of service to the user running it.

Apply an update

This flaw has been corrected in WinAmp version 5.08c and later. Download and install the latest version from:

<http://www.winamp.com/player/>

Workarounds

Do not open .mpa, .mp4, .pls or .m3u files automatically with WinAmp in your web browser.
Do not open unknown .mpa, .mp4, .pls or .m3u files.

Of course, these recommendations always apply to any unknown files and file types. It is also always advised for all users to ensure their browser will prompt for the desired action (Save, Cancel, Open) with all filetypes that may load remote data, such as WinAmp .pls or .m3u playlist file types.