CVE-2012-2786
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the decode_wdlt function in libavcodec/dfa.c in FFmpeg before 0.11, and Libav 0.7.x before 0.7.7 and 0.8.x before 0.8.4, has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to an "out of array write."
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in the decode_wdlt function in libavcodec/dfa.c allows out-of-bounds array write when processing malformed DFA format media files. The vulnerability affects FFmpeg versions before 0.11 and Libav 0.7.x before 0.7.7 and 0.8.x before 0.8.4, potentially allowing remote code execution via malicious media file processing.
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= 0.8= 0.8.1= 0.8.2= 0.8.3= 0.7= 0.7.1= 0.7.2= 0.7.3= 0.7.4= 0.7.5= 0.7.6<= 0.10.4= 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/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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Identify installed multimedia libraryRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'avconv -version' to determine if FFmpeg or Libav is present and obtain the version stringAffected if The installed version matches FFmpeg <= 0.10.4, 0.3.x through 0.4.6, or Libav 0.7.x before 0.7.7, or 0.8.x before 0.8.4
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Compare version against affected rangesParse the version number from step 1 and compare against the affected version lists: FFmpeg versions 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, and any version <= 0.10.4; Libav versions 0.7, 0.7.1, 0.7.2, 0.7.3, 0.7.4, 0.7.5, 0.7.6, 0.8, 0.8.1, 0.8.2, 0.8.3Affected if The installed version appears in the affected version list
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Verify DFA decoder is availableRun 'ffmpeg -codecs 2>&1 | grep -i dfa' or 'avconv -codecs 2>&1 | grep -i dfa' to check if the DFA decoder is compiled into the libraryAffected if DFA decoder is listed as available (the vulnerability only triggers when processing DFA format files)
System is affected if FFmpeg or Libav version matches the vulnerable ranges and DFA format decoding capability is enabled in the build
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 · scopedUpgrade to FFmpeg 0.11 or later, or Libav 0.7.7+/0.8.4+ to obtain patched versions. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable or restrict processing of DFA format files as a compensating control.
FFmpeg 0.11+ or Libav 0.8.4+ (or Libav 0.7.7+ for 0.7.x branch)
- Identify whether your system uses FFmpeg or Libav (they are separate forks)
- For Libav users: upgrade to Libav version 0.8.4 or later (or 0.7.7+ if using the 0.7.x branch)
- For FFmpeg users: upgrade to FFmpeg version 0.11 or later
- Verify the installed version matches a fixed release by running 'ffmpeg -version' or 'avconv -version'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-2786 — 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-2012-2786 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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