CVE-2014-9597
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 picture_pool_Delete function in misc/picture_pool.c in VideoLAN VLC media player 2.1.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DEP violation and application crash) via a crafted FLV file.
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 confidenceA memory handling vulnerability exists in VLC media player 2.1.5 within the picture_pool_Delete function in misc/picture_pool.c. When processing a crafted FLV file, the function triggers a DEP (Data Execution Prevention) violation due to improper memory management, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or causing a denial of service via application crash.
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= 2.1.5CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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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Verify VLC media player is installedCheck for VLC installation by looking in common installation directories (C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC on Windows, /Applications/VLC on macOS, /usr/bin/vlc or /usr/local/bin/vlc on Linux). On Windows, also check Add/Remove Programs. On Linux, run 'which vlc' or 'dpkg -l | grep vlc' or 'rpm -qa | grep vlc'.Affected if VLC is not installed on the system
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Determine the installed VLC versionRun 'vlc --version' from command line, or right-click the VLC executable, select Properties, and view the Version tab. On Windows, you can also check 'Programs and Features' in Control Panel.Affected if The displayed version number is exactly 2.1.5
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Confirm FLV file handling is possibleCheck if VLC has FLV playback capability by attempting to open any FLV file, or by examining VLC's codec support. The vulnerability triggers specifically when processing FLV files.Affected if VLC 2.1.5 can open and process FLV files, enabling the attack surface
A user is affected if they have VLC version 2.1.5 installed and open a crafted malicious FLV file, which triggers the memory handling flaw in picture_pool_Delete causing a DEP violation or crash.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade VLC media player to a version that addresses this vulnerability. Until then, avoid opening untrusted FLV files from unknown or untrusted sources, as the vulnerability can be triggered simply by playing a maliciously crafted FLV file.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-9597 — 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-2014-9597 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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