CVE-2013-0856
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 lpc_prediction function in libavcodec/alac.c in FFmpeg before 1.1 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via crafted Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) data, related to a large nb_samples value.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the lpc_prediction function in libavcodec/alac.c in FFmpeg before version 1.1. The vulnerability is triggered by processing crafted Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) data containing a maliciously large nb_samples value, leading to unspecified but severe impact (CVSS 9.3).
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 installationRun 'ffmpeg -version' or check for libavcodec library files on the systemAffected if FFmpeg is installed and the version is 0.3.x, 0.4.x through 0.4.6, or 1.0.x or earlier (versions before 1.1)
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Locate libavcodec versionCheck the library file version: 'ldd $(which ffmpeg) | grep avcodec' or check the shared library file directly in /usr/lib or /usr/local/lib for libavcodec.so*Affected if The linked libavcodec library version matches the affected FFmpeg versions (0.3.x, 0.4.x, 1.0.x, or <= 1.0)
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Verify ALAC decoder presenceRun 'ffmpeg -decoders | grep -i alac' to list supported ALAC decoders, or check if libavcodec/alac.c is present in the source if compiled locallyAffected if ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) decoder is available in the FFmpeg build
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Confirm ALAC file processing capabilityCheck if the system can process .m4a or .alac files: 'ffmpeg -i sample.m4a' or review logs/media files for ALAC contentAffected if The system has the capability to decode ALAC audio files using the affected FFmpeg installation
The environment is affected if FFmpeg version 1.0 or earlier (including 0.3.x and 0.4.x series) is installed and the ALAC decoder is available for processing audio 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 which contains the fix for proper bounds checking on nb_samples values in the ALAC decoder.
FFmpeg 1.1 or later
- 1. Identify the current FFmpeg version by running 'ffmpeg -version'
- 2. Download FFmpeg 1.1 or later from the official FFmpeg website (www.ffmpeg.org) or compile from source
- 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' depending on your OS)
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by running 'ffmpeg -version' and confirming the version is 1.1 or later
- 5. Test that FFmpeg still functions correctly with your typical use cases
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-0856 — 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-2013-0856 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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