---
id: "CVE-2026-57197"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-57197"]
title: "Asterisk: corrupted Speex audio file overflows heap and crashes server"
severity: "high"
cvss: 7.7
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "runtime"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["asterisk", "pbx", "runtime", "self-hosted", "telephony"]
not_affected_if: ["default-config", "no-speex-playback"]
published_at: "2026-10-27T17:17:01+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-27T17:32:46+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-27T17:34:32+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57197", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-27T17:32:46+00:00"}]
---

# Asterisk: corrupted Speex audio file overflows heap and crashes server

A malformed OGG/Speex audio file triggers an unbounded memcpy in Asterisk's format_ogg_speex, overflowing a heap buffer. The result is a crash of the Asterisk process when the file is played.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Run `asterisk -V` to get the installed version and compare it with the fixed releases.
- Check whether the configuration plays OGG/Speex files from directories writable by untrusted users or from uploads.

## Fix

- Upgrade Asterisk to `20.20.1`, `21.12.3`, `22.10.1` or `23.4.1`.
- Upgrade Certified Asterisk to `20.7-cert11` or `22.8-cert3`.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-27T17:32:46+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57197

## From the sources

Asterisk is an open source private branch exchange and telephony toolkit. Prior to Asterisk 20.20.1, 21.12.3, 22.10.1, 23.4.1 and Certified Asterisk 20.7-cert11, 22.8-cert3, an unbounded `memcpy` of `OGG/Speex` packet data in `format_ogg_speex` can cause a heap buffer overflow and crash Asterisk when reading a file containing corrupted Speex audio. The attacker must create the file and make it available to Asterisk either through sufficiently elevated privileges or by convincing an Asterisk administrator to make it available. Asterisk must also be configured to play that file. This issue is fixed in Asterisk 20.20.1, 21.12.3, 22.10.1, 23.4.1 and Certified Asterisk 20.7-cert11, 22.8-cert3.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_