CVE-2016-7562
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 ff_draw_pc_font function in libavcodec/cga_data.c in FFmpeg before 3.1.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (buffer overflow) via a crafted AVI 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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the ff_draw_pc_font function within libavcodec/cga_data.c in FFmpeg versions prior to 3.1.4. The vulnerability is triggered when processing a specially crafted AVI file that contains malicious font data, allowing an attacker to cause a denial of service condition.
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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Determine installed FFmpeg versionRun 'ffmpeg -version' or check libavcodec version via 'ffprobe' or by inspecting the shared library file (e.g., libavcodec.so)Affected if The reported version is 3.1.3 or earlier (any version prior to 3.1.4)
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Confirm libavcodec component is presentVerify the libavcodec library file exists on the system (e.g., libavcodec.so, libavcodec.dll, or libavcodec.framework on macOS)Affected if libavcodec is installed and the version cannot be determined or shows a version <= 3.1.3
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Check if AVI decoding is enabledRun 'ffmpeg -formats 2>/dev/null | grep -i avi' or 'ffprobe -formats' to list supported formats; look for AVI listed under DemuxersAffected if AVI format support is listed as available, indicating the vulnerable code path could be exercised
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Verify font rendering module is compiled inCheck for the presence of cga_data.c compiled object or run 'ffmpeg -buildconf' to list enabled components; the vulnerable function ff_draw_pc_font resides in libavcodecAffected if libavcodec is built with CGA font support (typically default), meaning the ff_draw_pc_font function exists in the binary
A system is affected if it runs any version of FFmpeg prior to 3.1.4 that includes libavcodec with AVI demuxing and CGA font rendering capabilities enabled.
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. For systems that bundle or embed FFmpeg, rebuild with the updated library version and test AVI file processing functionality.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2016-7562 — 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-2016-7562 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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