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FfmpegApplication

CVE-2014-125020

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-06-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
A vulnerability has been found in FFmpeg 2.0 and classified as critical. This vulnerability affects the function decode_update_thread_context. The manipulation leads to memory corruption. The attack can be initiated remotely. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

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 confidence

A memory corruption vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 2.0 within the decode_update_thread_context function. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable and carries a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH), indicating serious risk of code execution or denial of service.

MitigationApply the official patch for this vulnerability in FFmpeg 2.0. Given the remote exploitability and high CVSS score, prioritize remediation through version update or patch application.

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
FfmpegApplication
Affected:= 2.0

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if FFmpeg is installed
    Run 'ffmpeg -version' or 'which ffmpeg' to locate the binary
    Affected if FFmpeg is not found on the system, then not applicable
  2. Identify the installed FFmpeg version
    Run 'ffmpeg -version' and examine the output for the version number (e.g., ffmpeg version 2.0)
    Affected if The displayed version is exactly 2.0 (no other versions are listed as affected)
  3. Confirm the exact version string
    Run 'ffmpeg -buildversion' if available, or parse 'ffmpeg -version' output for the precise 2.0 release identifier
    Affected if The version string matches '2.0' exactly - only this specific version is affected per the CVE
  4. Check if threading/multithreading features are in use
    Review the FFmpeg command or configuration being used. Look for thread-related options such as '-threads', '-thread_type', or multithreaded encoding/decoding scenarios
    Affected if The vulnerability exists in decode_update_thread_context, so threading must be enabled for the vulnerable code path to be exercised

You are affected if FFmpeg version is exactly 2.0 and threaded processing features are in use (the decode_update_thread_context function is only invoked during multithreaded decode operations).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the official patch for this vulnerability in FFmpeg 2.0. Given the remote exploitability and high CVSS score, prioritize remediation through version update or patch application.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FFmpeg 2.1 or later stable release (newer than vulnerable 2.0)

  1. 1. Check the current FFmpeg version installed by running: ffmpeg -version
  2. 2. Download a newer stable release of FFmpeg from the official website (ffmpeg.org) or compile from source
  3. 3. Install the newer version, ensuring all dependencies are also updated
  4. 4. Verify the new version is active by running: ffmpeg -version
  5. 5. Test that your specific video processing workflows function correctly with the new version
Caveat Upgrading from FFmpeg 2.0 may introduce API/CLI changes; some encoding parameters, filter options, or deprecated features may behave differently. Test critical workflows before production deployment.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ffmpeg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
25.0 hours of engineering $4,400
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-125020 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • 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