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FfmpegApplication

CVE-2014-125021

MEDIUM · 5.5 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 →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 was found in FFmpeg 2.0 and classified as problematic. This issue affects the function cmv_process_header. The manipulation leads to memory corruption. The attack may 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 cmv_process_header function, which parses CMV (Creative Media Format) video headers. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable through malicious video file processing and could lead to denial of service or potentially arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade FFmpeg to a patched version that addresses the memory corruption in cmv_process_header. Apply the official patch and validate that CMV video processing works correctly.

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 installed FFmpeg version
    Run 'ffmpeg -version' or 'ffmpeg -version | head -1' to retrieve the version string
    Affected if The version shown is exactly 2.0 (the only affected version listed)
  2. Verify CMV format support is available
    Run 'ffmpeg -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i cmv' or check ffmpeg build configuration for cmv demuxer/decoding capability
    Affected if CMV format is listed as supported and available in the FFmpeg build
  3. Confirm cmv_process_header function exists in build
    Inspect FFmpeg's libavformat/cmv.c or check if the CMV parser is compiled into the installed binary (e.g., 'ffmpeg -hide_banner -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep cmv' or check build with 'ffprobe -version' for compiled-in formats)
    Affected if The CMV video header parsing module (cmv_process_header related code) is present in the installation
  4. Test CMV file processing capability
    Attempt to probe a CMV file with 'ffprobe <any_cmv_file>' or use 'ffmpeg -i input.cmv' to see if the format is recognized
    Affected if FFmpeg successfully identifies and attempts to parse CMV video files, indicating the vulnerable code path is reachable

You are affected only if you have FFmpeg version exactly 2.0 AND have CMV video format support enabled in your build, making the cmv_process_header function reachable for malicious file processing.

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

Upgrade FFmpeg to a patched version that addresses the memory corruption in cmv_process_header. Apply the official patch and validate that CMV video processing works correctly.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

FFmpeg 2.0.8 or later (preferably FFmpeg 2.2+ or latest stable 4.x/5.x/6.x branch)

  1. 1. Back up your current FFmpeg installation and any configuration files
  2. 2. Identify your current package manager or installation method (apt, yum, brew, compile from source, etc.)
  3. 3. Remove or uninstall FFmpeg version 2.0
  4. 4. Install a version of FFmpeg newer than 2.0 that includes the security fix for the cmv_process_header vulnerability
  5. 5. Verify the new installation by running 'ffmpeg -version' to confirm the installed version
  6. 6. Test your media processing workflows to ensure functionality is intact
  7. 7. If you cannot upgrade the entire FFmpeg package, apply the vendor-specific patch for CVE-2014-125021 if available
Caveat Major version upgrades (e.g., 2.x to 4.x/5.x/6.x) may introduce API changes affecting custom builds or dependent applications; test thoroughly before production deployment

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

Fix this in Ffmpeg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,400
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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-2014-125021 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

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