Medium · published September 19, 2026
FluidSynth is a software synthesizer based on the SoundFont 2 specifications. From 2.5.0 until 2.5.6, the native DLS parser validates articulation chunks using the unsigned expression cbsize + connblocks * 12 without first ensuring that the multiplication and addition fit in 32 bits. A crafted DLS file can supply a large connblocks value that wraps the expression and bypasses the chunk-size check, after which the parser performs approximately one billion 12-byte iterations beyond the chunk boundary. The excessive processing and invalid reads can cause denial of service. Builds with the CMake option enable-native-dls set to OFF do not expose the parser. This issue is fixed in version 2.5.6.