CVE-2016-7502
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 cavs_idct8_add_c function in libavcodec/cavsdsp.c in FFmpeg before 3.1.4 is vulnerable to reading out-of-bounds memory when decoding with cavs_decode.
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 confidenceThe cavs_idct8_add_c function in libavcodec/cavsdsp.c in FFmpeg before 3.1.4 contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when decoding AVS video streams. The function reads memory beyond the allocated buffer during the inverse DCT operation, potentially allowing disclosure of sensitive memory contents.
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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' and look for the version number in the output (e.g., 3.1.3, 3.1.2, 3.1.1, etc.)Affected if The version displayed is 3.1.3 or earlier (any version <= 3.1.3)
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Check if cavs/AVS decoder is availableRun 'ffmpeg -codecs 2>/dev/null | grep -i cavs' or 'ffmpeg -decoders 2>/dev/null | grep -i cavs' to see if the AVS (cavs) video decoder is compiled into the FFmpeg buildAffected if The cavs decoder appears in the list of available decoders (indicating AVS decoding support is compiled in)
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Identify if AVS video files are being processedCheck your system for AVS video files (extension .avs) using 'find / -name "*.avs" 2>/dev/null' or review application logs that process video filesAffected if AVS video files exist on the system or are processed by applications using this FFmpeg build
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Check FFmpeg library version directlyIf the ffmpeg binary is not available, check the shared library version: 'ldd $(which ffmpeg) | grep avcodec' and then 'avconv -version' or inspect the libavcodec package version via your system's package managerAffected if The linked libavcodec library version is 3.1.3 or earlier
You are affected if FFmpeg version is 3.1.3 or earlier AND the cavs/AVS decoder is compiled into your build AND you process AVS video 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.
From vendor dataUpgrade to FFmpeg 3.1.4 or later which contains the bounds-checking fix for the IDCT function, or disable AVS (cavs) decoding support if not required.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7502 — 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-2016-7502 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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