CVE-2025-14569
📋 TL;DR
A use-after-free vulnerability in whisper.cpp's read_audio_data function allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or crash the application. This affects users running whisper.cpp versions up to 1.8.2 for audio processing tasks. The vulnerability requires local access to exploit.
💻 Affected Systems
- ggml-org whisper.cpp
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise or arbitrary code execution with user privileges.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) or limited memory corruption leading to unstable behavior.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if proper sandboxing and privilege separation are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires local user access. Public proof-of-concept available on GitHub demonstrates the vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
No official patch available. Monitor the GitHub repository for updates. Consider temporary workarounds or alternative software.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable component
allAvoid using the common-whisper.cpp examples or restrict their execution to trusted users only.
chmod 700 /path/to/whisper.cpp/examples/common-whisper
Run with reduced privileges
linuxExecute whisper.cpp with minimal privileges using sandboxing or containerization.
docker run --read-only --cap-drop=ALL -v /audio:/audio:ro whisper-container
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems running whisper.cpp
- Implement strict privilege separation and run whisper.cpp in isolated environments
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check whisper.cpp version: grep -i version /path/to/whisper.cpp/CMakeLists.txt or check installed version via package manager.Check Version:
whisper-cli --version 2>/dev/null || find /path/to/whisper.cpp -name "*.cpp" -exec grep -l "read_audio_data" {} \;Verify Fix Applied:
Verify version is above 1.8.2 once patch is released. Test with the public PoC to confirm fix.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Segmentation fault crashes in whisper.cpp processes
- Memory access violation errors in system logs
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators - local exploit only
SIEM Query:
process.name:"whisper" AND (event.action:"segmentation_fault" OR event.action:"memory_violation")