CVE-2013-0855
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 · uneditedInteger overflow in the alac_decode_close function in libavcodec/alac.c in FFmpeg before 1.1 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a large number of samples per frame in Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) 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 confidenceInteger overflow in the alac_decode_close function in libavcodec/alac.c in FFmpeg before version 1.1 allows out-of-bounds array access when processing Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) files containing a large number of samples per frame, potentially enabling arbitrary 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.
-
Determine FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'ffmpeg -i' to display the installed version number. Compare against affected versions: <= 1.0, or any of 0.3.x through 0.4.6.Affected if The installed version is one of the listed vulnerable 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, or any version <= 1.0).
-
Confirm libavcodec ALAC decoder presenceRun 'ffmpeg -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -i alac' or 'ffmpeg -decoders 2>/dev/null | grep -i alac' to list available audio decoders. Look for 'alac' in the output.Affected if The ALAC decoder is available and the FFmpeg version is vulnerable as determined in step 1.
-
Check for ALAC file processing activityInspect logs, audit records, or run 'find /path/to/media -name "*.m4a" -o -name "*.alac"' to locate ALAC-encoded audio files that would trigger the vulnerable code path.Affected if ALAC files exist or have been processed AND the FFmpeg version is vulnerable.
A user is affected if they are running a vulnerable FFmpeg version (0.3.x through 0.4.6, or any version <= 1.0) with the ALAC decoder enabled and processing Apple Lossless Audio Codec 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 1.1 or later to patch the integer overflow vulnerability in the ALAC decoder, or apply the specific patch to the alac_decode_close function to properly validate sample counts before array allocation.
FFmpeg 1.1 or later
- Check current FFmpeg version using 'ffmpeg -version' to confirm affected version
- Download FFmpeg 1.1 or later from the official website (www.ffmpeg.org) or compile from source
- If using a package manager, update to the available version that includes the fix (1.1 or later)
- Verify the upgrade was successful by running 'ffmpeg -version' and confirming the new version number
- Test ALAC decoding functionality to ensure the fix does not introduce regressions
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-0855 — 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-2013-0855 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data