CVE-2023-26923
📋 TL;DR
MuseScore 3.0 through 4.0.1 contains a stack buffer overflow vulnerability when processing malformed MIDI files. This allows attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code on the system. Users who open untrusted MIDI files with vulnerable MuseScore versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- MuseScore
📦 What is this software?
Musescore by Musescore
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) when opening malicious MIDI files; code execution possible with crafted exploits.
If Mitigated
No impact if malicious MIDI files are not opened or if application is sandboxed/restricted.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious MIDI file). No public exploit code identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.0.2 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues/16346
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open MuseScore. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Follow prompts to update to version 4.0.2 or later. 4. Restart MuseScore.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable MIDI file association
allPrevent MuseScore from automatically opening MIDI files by changing file associations.
Use application sandboxing
allRun MuseScore in restricted environment (sandbox) to limit impact of potential exploitation.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid opening MIDI files from untrusted sources with MuseScore.
- Use alternative MIDI viewers/editors for untrusted files.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check MuseScore version: if between 3.0 and 4.0.1 inclusive, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On MuseScore startup screen or via Help > About MuseScoreVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm MuseScore version is 4.0.2 or later.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes when opening MIDI files
- Unexpected process termination
Network Indicators:
- N/A - primarily local file exploitation
SIEM Query:
EventID=1000 OR EventID=1001 (Application Error) with process_name='MuseScore' AND file_extension='.mid' OR '.midi'