CVE-2012-0859
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 render_line function in the vorbis codec (vorbis.c) in libavcodec in FFmpeg before 0.9.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted Vorbis file, related to a large multiplier. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2011-3893.
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 exists in FFmpeg's libavcodec Vorbis codec (vorbis.c) in the render_line function. The issue stems from improper handling of a large multiplier in crafted Vorbis files, which can trigger a buffer overflow or similar memory corruption leading to denial of service (application crash) and potentially arbitrary code execution. This CVE represents an incomplete fix for the earlier CVE-2011-3893.
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= 0.7.1= 0.7.2= 0.7.7= 0.7.8= 0.7.9= 0.7.11= 0.7.12= 0.8.5= 0.8.6= 0.8.7= 0.8.8CVSS 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 FFmpeg installationRun 'ffmpeg -version' or check for libavcodec package installed on the systemAffected if FFmpeg is installed and the version matches the affected list (0.7.x, 0.8.x, or <= 0.9)
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Identify exact FFmpeg versionParse the version string from 'ffmpeg -version' output, looking for versions 0.7.1, 0.7.2, 0.7.7, 0.7.8, 0.7.9, 0.7.11, 0.7.12, 0.8.5, 0.8.6, 0.8.7, 0.8.8, or any release <= 0.9Affected if The installed version matches one of the specific versions listed in the affected products
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Verify Vorbis decoder presenceRun 'ffmpeg -codecs' or check for libavcodec/vorbis.c in the installed libraries to confirm the Vorbis decoder is availableAffected if The Vorbis decoder (libvorbis) is compiled into the FFmpeg installation
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Confirm Vorbis file processing capabilityRun 'ffmpeg -i input.vorbis -f null -' or similar command to test if the system can decode Vorbis audio filesAffected if FFmpeg can process Vorbis files, meaning the vulnerable code path could be triggered
You are affected if FFmpeg with a vulnerable Vorbis decoder (versions 0.7.1-0.7.12, 0.8.5-0.8.8, or <= 0.9) is installed and capable of processing Vorbis 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 0.9.1 or later to obtain the complete fix. Additionally, implement input validation and avoid processing untrusted or user-submitted Vorbis files until the update is applied.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0859 — 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-2012-0859 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
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