CVE-2012-2788
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 avi_read_packet function in libavformat/avidec.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 read" when a "packet is shrunk."
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 confidenceOut-of-bounds array read vulnerability in the avi_read_packet function in libavformat/avidec.c in FFmpeg and Libav. The vulnerability triggers when processing AVI files where a packet is 'shrunk' during reading, causing the parser to read beyond allocated buffer bounds.
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 the installed multimedia libraryRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'avconv -version' to determine if FFmpeg or Libav is installed. Check for shared libraries with 'ldconfig -p | grep -E "(avformat|ffmpeg)"'Affected if The output shows either FFmpeg or Libav with a version number
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Determine the exact version numberParse the version string from the command output (e.g., 'ffmpeg version 0.10.3' or 'avconv version 0.8.2'). For library-based detection, examine libavformat.so with 'objdump -p /path/to/libavformat.so | grep VERSION' or check the SONAMEAffected if The version number matches one listed in the affected ranges: Libav 0.7 through 0.8.3, or FFmpeg 0.3.x, 0.4.x, 0.10.4 or earlier
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Verify AVI demuxing capability is in useInspect the application's configuration or runtime environment to confirm AVI file processing. Check if the binary includes libavformat/avidec.c functionality by examining enabled formats with 'ffmpeg -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i avi' or 'avconv -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i avi'Affected if AVI format support (demuxer) is compiled in and the application processes or is expected to process AVI files
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Confirm the vulnerable code path existsFor static builds, verify the presence of the avidec.c file in the build by checking the binary with 'strings /path/to/binary | grep avi_read_packet'. For library builds, check if libavformat contains the vulnerable functionAffected if The avi_read_packet symbol is present in the binary or linked library, indicating the affected code path is included
You are affected if you have FFmpeg <= 0.10.4, 0.3.x through 0.4.x, or Libav 0.7.x/0.8.x installed AND your application uses AVI file demuxing.
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+. Audit and update all applications bundling or linking these library versions.
FFmpeg 0.11+ or Libav 0.8.4+ (or Libav 0.7.7+ if on 0.7.x branch)
- 1. Identify which library (FFmpeg or Libav) is in use in your environment: run `ffmpeg -version` or `avconv -version`
- 2. Check the exact version currently installed
- 3. If using FFmpeg, upgrade to version 0.11 or later
- 4. If using Libav 0.7.x, upgrade to version 0.7.7 or later
- 5. If using Libav 0.8.x, upgrade to version 0.8.4 or later
- 6. Rebuild any applications that link against the library
- 7. Test video playback and encoding functionality to ensure the upgrade does not break existing workflows
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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-2012-2788 — 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-2012-2788 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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