CVE-2011-3944
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 smacker_decode_header_tree function in libavcodec/smacker.c in FFmpeg before 0.10 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via crafted Smacker data.
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 · moderate confidenceA vulnerability in FFmpeg's Smacker video codec decoder (smacker_decode_header_tree function in libavcodec/smacker.c) allows attackers to cause unspecified impact via crafted Smacker video files, likely through insufficient bounds checking during header tree parsing.
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<= 0.9.1= 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= 0.4.6CVSS 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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Determine FFmpeg versionRun `ffmpeg -version` and note the version number displayed in the outputAffected if The version is 0.9.1 or lower, or matches 0.3.x (0.3, 0.3.1, 0.3.2, 0.3.3, 0.3.4), 0.4.x (0.4.0, 0.4.2, 0.4.3, 0.4.4, 0.4.5, 0.4.6), or is explicitly 0.9.1
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Verify Smacker decoder availabilityRun `ffmpeg -decoders 2>&1 | grep -i smacker` or `ffmpeg -codecs 2>&1 | grep -i smacker` to list decoders and check if smacker is shownAffected if The smacker decoder appears in the list of available decoders, meaning the vulnerable code is compiled in
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Confirm Smacker support is built into the binaryRun `ffmpeg -buildconf 2>&1` or check your FFmpeg build configuration for references to smacker, or use `ldd $(which ffmpeg) 2>&1` to inspect linked librariesAffected if The build configuration includes smacker support or the binary links to smacker-related components
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Check if Smacker files are being processedInspect any recent media processing logs, or manually test by running `ffmpeg -i sample.smack` or `ffmpeg -i sample.smacker` on a test file if availableAffected if FFmpeg is actively parsing Smacker video files, which triggers the vulnerable code path in smacker_decode_header_tree
You are affected if your FFmpeg version falls within 0.3.x, 0.4.x, or <=0.9.1 AND the Smacker decoder is enabled in your build and available for processing Smacker video 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.
From vendor dataUpgrade FFmpeg to version 0.10 or later to obtain the patched code; alternatively, disable Smacker codec support in builds where this format is not required.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-3944 — 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-2011-3944 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
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