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FfmpegApplication

CVE-2016-7785

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-12-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 3.1.3 or later.
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
The avi_read_seek function in libavformat/avidec.c in FFmpeg before 3.1.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (assert fault) 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 confidence

An assertion failure vulnerability exists in the avi_read_seek function within libavformat/avidec.c in FFmpeg versions before 3.1.4. A specially crafted AVI file with maliciously constructed headers or seek parameters triggers an assert statement that was not designed to handle malformed input, causing a denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade to FFmpeg 3.1.4 or later. Until then, implement file type validation and consider sandboxing or restricting processing of untrusted AVI files.

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:<= 3.1.3

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:3.0/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed FFmpeg version
    Run 'ffmpeg -version' or 'avconv -version' and note the version number in the output
    Affected if Version is 3.1.3 or lower (the version number appears before 3.1.4)
  2. Identify if AVI demuxing is in use
    Check application logs, source code, or runtime environment for AVI file processing - look for .avi file extensions or libavformat/avidec usage
    Affected if The application or tool processes AVI container files
  3. Verify source of AVI files
    Inspect where AVI input files originate - check if they come from untrusted users, network sources, or user-uploaded content
    Affected if AVI files from untrusted or external sources are being processed

You are affected if FFmpeg version is 3.1.3 or earlier AND your system processes AVI files, especially from untrusted sources, since the assert failure triggers on malformed AVI headers or seek parameters.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 3.1.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to FFmpeg 3.1.4 or later. Until then, implement file type validation and consider sandboxing or restricting processing of untrusted AVI files.

Fix this in Ffmpeg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

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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-2016-7785 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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