CVE-2013-0852
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 parse_picture_segment function in libavcodec/pgssubdec.c in FFmpeg before 1.1 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via crafted RLE data, which triggers an out-of-bounds array access.
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 confidenceOut-of-bounds array access vulnerability in FFmpeg's PGS subtitle decoder (parse_picture_segment function in libavcodec/pgssubdec.c) before version 1.1, triggered by specially crafted RLE-encoded data in media files, allowing potential remote code execution.
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<= 1.0= 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
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/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 FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' and note the version number in the outputAffected if The version is 1.0 or lower, or falls within the 0.3.x through 0.4.x series listed in the affected versions
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Verify PGS subtitle decoder presenceRun 'ffmpeg -decoders 2>/dev/null | grep -i pgs' or 'ffmpeg -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -i pgs' to list decoders containing 'pgs'Affected if A PGS subtitle decoder (pgssubdec) is listed as available
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Confirm media processing capabilityCheck if FFmpeg can decode PGS subtitles by running 'ffmpeg -i <testfile> -f null -' where <testfile> is a media file containing PGS subtitles, or inspect a known PGS file with 'ffprobe -show_streams <file>'Affected if FFmpeg successfully processes or detects PGS subtitle streams in a media file
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Check static library linkage if applicableIf FFmpeg is statically linked in a custom application, identify the library binary and run 'strings <library> | grep pgssubdec' or check the compiled object filesAffected if The pgssubdec code is compiled into a statically linked binary that your application uses
You are affected if you run any FFmpeg version listed as vulnerable AND the PGS subtitle decoder is enabled and capable of processing media files with PGS subtitles.
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 1.1 or later, or apply the vendor patch for this specific vulnerability. Recompile and redeploy any applications statically linking the vulnerable FFmpeg library.
FFmpeg 1.1 or later (the vulnerability was fixed in version 1.1)
- 1. Check current FFmpeg version by running 'ffmpeg -version' or checking the installed package
- 2. Download FFmpeg 1.1 or later from the official source (www.ffmpeg.org) or use your system's package manager
- 3. If using a package manager, update to a version >= 1.1 (e.g., 'apt-get update && apt-get install ffmpeg' or 'yum update ffmpeg')
- 4. If building from source, download the 1.1 or newer release from git.videolan.org or FFmpeg archives
- 5. Replace the old ffmpeg binary and libavcodec library with the new version
- 6. Verify the new version is installed by running 'ffmpeg -version'
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
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-0852 — 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-2013-0852 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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