CVE-2011-3623
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 · uneditedMultiple stack-based buffer overflows in VideoLAN VLC media player before 1.0.2 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted ASF file, related to the ASF_ObjectDumpDebug function in modules/demux/asf/libasf.c; (2) a crafted AVI file, related to the AVI_ChunkDumpDebug_level function in modules/demux/avi/libavi.c; or (3) a crafted MP4 file, related to the __MP4_BoxDumpStructure function in modules/demux/mp4/libmp4.c.
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 confidenceVLC media player before 1.0.2 contains stack-based buffer overflows in three demuxer modules when processing crafted media files. The ASF, AVI, and MP4 demuxers contain debug/dump functions (ASF_ObjectDumpDebug, AVI_ChunkDumpDebug_level, and __MP4_BoxDumpStructure) that do not properly validate bounds when parsing file structures, allowing remote code execution via malicious files.
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<= 1.0.1= 0.5.0= 0.5.1= 0.5.2= 0.5.3= 0.6.0= 0.6.1= 0.6.2= 0.7.0= 0.7.1= 0.7.2= 0.8.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 if VLC is installedOn Windows: check Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC or search for vlc.exe. On Linux: run 'which vlc' or check /usr/bin/vlc. On Mac: check /Applications/VLC.appAffected if VLC is found on the system
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Identify the VLC versionRun 'vlc --version' from command line, or right-click vlc.exe and select Properties > Details to view File VersionAffected if Version cannot be determined or is unknown
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Compare installed version against affected rangeCheck if the version is 0.5.0, 0.5.1, 0.5.2, 0.5.3, 0.6.0, 0.6.1, 0.6.2, 0.7.0, 0.7.1, 0.7.2, 0.8.0, or any version up to and including 1.0.1Affected if Installed version matches any of these affected versions (0.5.0-0.8.0, or 0.9.x through 1.0.1)
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Verify vulnerable demuxer modules are presentCheck the VLC installation directory for demux modules: libdemux_asf.dll, libdemux_avi.dll, or libmp4.dll in the plugins folderAffected if These demuxer modules exist in the VLC plugins directory
If VLC is installed with a version between 0.5.0 and 1.0.1 inclusive, and ASF/AVI/MP4 demuxer modules are present, the system is vulnerable when processing crafted media files from untrusted sources.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade to VLC media player 1.0.2 or later to obtain patched demuxer modules. Until upgraded, avoid opening ASF, AVI, or MP4 files from untrusted sources.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3623 — 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-2011-3623 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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