CVE-2012-2794
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_mb_info function in libavcodec/indeo5.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 in which the "allocated tile size ... mismatches parameters."
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 confidenceMemory corruption vulnerability in the Indeo 5 video decoder (libavcodec/indeo5.c) where the decode_mb_info function processes tile sizes that mismatch allocated parameters. This can lead to buffer overflows during video parsing, allowing arbitrary code execution or denial of service.
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= 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= 0.8.3<= 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 video codec libraryRun 'ffmpeg -version' to check for FFmpeg, or 'avconv -version' (Libav fork) to check for Libav. Note the exact version number reported.Affected if The reported version matches any of the affected versions: Libav 0.7-0.8.3, FFmpeg 0.3-0.4.6, or FFmpeg <= 0.10.4
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Confirm indeo5 decoder availabilityRun 'ffmpeg -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -i indeo5' or 'avconv -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -i indeo5' to list decoders and check if indeo5 is present.Affected if The indeo5 decoder is listed as available (decoders include D for video). This indicates the vulnerable code path could be triggered.
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Locate the vulnerable library fileOn Linux: 'find /usr -name "libavcodec*" 2>/dev/null | head -5'. On Windows: check the FFmpeg/Libav installation directory for avcodec*.dll or avcodec-*.so files.Affected if The library file exists and its version matches an affected release (check via 'avconv -version' or file metadata).
You are affected if you have FFmpeg or Libav installed with a version matching the affected list AND the indeo5 decoder is available in your 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 · scopedUpdate FFmpeg to version 0.11 or later, or Libav to 0.7.7+/0.8.4+ to obtain patched versions of the indeo5 decoder.
FFmpeg 0.11 or later; Libav 0.7.7+ (for 0.7.x) or Libav 0.8.4+ (for 0.8.x)
- 1. Identify which library (Libav or FFmpeg) is in use in your environment
- 2. For Libav: Check the installed version using 'avconv -version' or 'libavutil-version'
- 3. For FFmpeg: Check the installed version using 'ffmpeg -version'
- 4. If using Libav 0.7.x through 0.7.3: Upgrade to Libav 0.7.7 or later
- 5. If using Libav 0.8.x: Upgrade to Libav 0.8.4 or later
- 6. If using FFmpeg 0.10.4 or earlier: Upgrade to FFmpeg 0.11 or later
- 7. If using FFmpeg 0.3.x: Upgrade to FFmpeg 0.11 or later
- 8. Rebuild any software that statically links against the old library versions
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-2794 — 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-2012-2794 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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