CVE-2012-2797
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_frame_mp3on4 function in libavcodec/mpegaudiodec.c in FFmpeg before 0.11 and Libav 0.8.x before 0.8.5 has unknown impact and attack vectors related to a calculation that prevents a frame from being "large enough."
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 MP3-on-4 decoder (decode_frame_mp3on4) in FFmpeg before 0.11 and Libav 0.8.x before 0.8.5. A calculation error fails to properly validate that frames are sufficiently large, potentially allowing attackers to trigger undefined behavior via crafted MP3 files.
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<= 0.10.4= 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= 0.4.6= 0.8= 0.8.1= 0.8.2= 0.8.3= 0.8.4CVSS 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 installed and capture the version stringAffected if The software is FFmpeg with version <= 0.10.4 or 0.3.x or 0.4.x, OR Libav with version 0.8.0 through 0.8.4
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Verify mp3on4 decoder availabilityRun 'ffmpeg -decoders' or 'avconv -decoders' and search for 'mp3on4' in the output listAffected if The mp3on4 decoder is listed as available in the decoder list
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Check for MP3-on-4 file processingInspect any application logs, transcoding scripts, or media processing pipelines that handle MP3 files to determine if mp3on4 decoding is being invokedAffected if The environment processes MP3 files using the mp3on4 decoder or encounters MP3 files with MPEG-4 audio layer (which triggers this decoder)
You are affected if FFmpeg version is 0.10.4 or lower, any 0.3.x or 0.4.x version, or Libav version 0.8.0-0.8.4, AND the mp3on4 decoder is available or being used to process untrusted MP3 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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade FFmpeg to version 0.11 or later, or Libav to version 0.8.5 or later. Alternatively, ensure only trusted MP3 sources are processed and consider disabling the mp3on4 decoder if not required.
FFmpeg: 0.11 or later (e.g., 0.11.5); Libav: 0.8.5 or later
- 1. Identify the exact FFmpeg or Libav version currently installed (e.g., run 'ffmpeg -version' or 'libavcodec-version').
- 2. If using FFmpeg: upgrade to version 0.11 or later (recommended: latest stable release in the 0.11.x series or newer).
- 3. If using Libav: upgrade to version 0.8.5 or later (recommended: latest stable 0.8.x release).
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number again.
- 5. Test that audio decoding functionality still works correctly with your specific use cases.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-2797 — 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-2012-2797 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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