CVE-2016-7122
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 avi_read_nikon function in libavformat/avidec.c in FFmpeg before 3.1.4 is vulnerable to infinite loop when it decodes an AVI file that has a crafted 'nctg' structure.
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 confidenceFFmpeg before 3.1.4 contains an infinite loop vulnerability in the avi_read_nikon function within libavformat/avidec.c. When parsing an AVI file with a specially crafted 'nctg' metadata structure, the parser enters an unbounded loop, causing denial of service through CPU exhaustion. The vulnerability is triggered during AVI demuxing when processing Nikon-specific metadata tags.
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<= 3.1.3CVSS 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:3.0/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' or 'ffmpeg -buildconf' to display the version number and build configurationAffected if Version is 3.1.3 or earlier (e.g., 3.1.2, 3.1.1, 3.1.0, 3.0.x, etc.)
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Verify AVI demuxing support is presentRun 'ffmpeg -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i avi' or check build configuration for AVI demuxer availabilityAffected if AVI format is listed as supported and the 'D' demuxer flag is present for AVI
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Inspect avidec.c source file if compiled from sourceLocate libavformat/avidec.c in the source tree and check for the avi_read_nikon function fix; look for loop bound checks or the presence of a size limit variableAffected if The function contains no loop exit condition or size validation for the 'nctg' metadata parsing loop
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Confirm library version for libavformatRun 'ffprobe -version' or check the shared library file (e.g., libavformat.so) for its embedded version numberAffected if The linked libavformat version is 52.64.0 or earlier corresponding to FFmpeg 3.1.3 and below
You are affected if FFmpeg version 3.1.3 or earlier is installed AND AVI format demuxing is enabled, allowing processing of AVI files with Nikon metadata tags.
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 to FFmpeg version 3.1.4 or later. Until upgrade is feasible, avoid processing AVI files from untrusted sources, particularly those containing Nikon-specific metadata.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7122 — 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-2016-7122 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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