CVE-2011-3929
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 · uneditedThe avpriv_dv_produce_packet function in libavcodec in FFmpeg 0.7.x before 0.7.12 and 0.8.x before 0.8.11 and in Libav 0.5.x before 0.5.9, 0.6.x before 0.6.6, 0.7.x before 0.7.5, and 0.8.x before 0.8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted DV file.
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 confidenceA NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the avpriv_dv_produce_packet function within libavcodec in FFmpeg and Libav. When processing a specially crafted DV (Digital Video) file, the function fails to properly validate input, leading to a NULL pointer dereference that causes denial of service (application crash) and potentially allows arbitrary code execution.
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= 0.7.1= 0.7.2= 0.7.6= 0.7.7= 0.7.8= 0.7.9= 0.7.11= 0.8.5= 0.8.6= 0.8.7= 0.8.8= 0.8.10= 0.5= 0.5.1= 0.5.2= 0.5.3= 0.5.4= 0.5.5= 0.5.6= 0.5.7= 0.6= 0.6.1= 0.6.2= 0.6.3CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/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 installed FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'ffmpeg' command and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version matches any of these: 0.7.1, 0.7.2, 0.7.6, 0.7.7, 0.7.8, 0.7.9, 0.7.11, 0.8.5, 0.8.6, 0.8.7, 0.8.8, or 0.8.10
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Check installed Libav versionRun 'avconv -version' or 'avconv' command and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version matches any of these: 0.5, 0.5.1, 0.5.2, 0.5.3, 0.5.4, 0.5.5, 0.5.6, 0.5.7, 0.6, 0.6.1, 0.6.2, or 0.6.3
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Confirm DV codec support is loadedRun 'ffmpeg -codecs' or 'avconv -codecs' and look for 'dvvideo' in the supported codecs listAffected if DV decoding support is listed and available in the build
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Identify DV file processing in your environmentSearch application logs, code, or configuration for DV file handling or calls to avpriv_dv_produce_packet functionAffected if Your application or system processes DV (Digital Video) files using the affected library
You are affected if your installed FFmpeg or Libav version is in the affected list AND your system processes DV files using the libavcodec library.
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 FFmpeg 0.7.12/0.8.11 or later, or Libav 0.5.9/0.6.6/0.7.5/0.8.1 or later. If upgrading is not possible, implement input validation and file parsing checks before passing DV files to the affected library functions.
- 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-2011-3929 — 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-2011-3929 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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