CVE-2008-3162
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedStack-based buffer overflow in the str_read_packet function in libavformat/psxstr.c in FFmpeg before r13993 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or execute arbitrary code via a crafted STR file that interleaves audio and video sectors.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in FFmpeg's STR file parser (libavformat/psxstr.c, function str_read_packet). The vulnerability allows crafted PlayStation STR files with interleaved audio/video sectors to overflow a stack buffer, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or causing denial of service.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 0.3= 0.3.1= 0.3.2= 0.3.3= 0.3.4= 0.4.0= 0.4.2= 0.4.3= 0.4.4= 0.4.5= 0.4.6= 0.4.7CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'ffprobe -version' and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version matches any of these: 0.3, 0.3.1, 0.3.2, 0.3.3, 0.3.4, 0.4.0, 0.4.2, 0.4.3, 0.4.4, 0.4.5, 0.4.6, or 0.4.7
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Confirm STR demuxer is availableRun 'ffmpeg -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i str' or check if libavformat contains the psxstr.c parser (typically compiled into libavformat)Affected if The STR format is listed as supported and the psxstr demuxer is present in the build
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Identify STR file processing on the systemSearch for any automated processes, scripts, or services that process .str files, or check if users have uploaded STR files to the system using 'find / -name "*.str" 2>/dev/null'Affected if The system processes, serves, or accepts PlayStation STR files from any source, especially untrusted ones
You are affected if your FFmpeg version is one of the listed affected versions AND the system processes or can process STR media files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpdate FFmpeg to revision r13993 or later. If updates are not possible, avoid processing untrusted STR files from unknown sources.
FFmpeg 0.4 or later (includes the r13993 fix for the psxstr.c buffer overflow)
- 1. Identify the current FFmpeg version by running: ffmpeg -version
- 2. Download FFmpeg 0.4 or later from the official source (https://ffmpeg.org/download.html)
- 3. Compile and install the newer version, or use a package manager to upgrade: apt-get update && apt-get install ffmpeg (Debian/Ubuntu) or emerge --ask media-video/ffmpeg (Gentoo)
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by running: ffmpeg -version
- 5. Ensure the new version includes the fix by confirming it is after revision r13993
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-3162 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-3162 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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