CVE-2016-9561
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 che_configure function in libavcodec/aacdec_template.c in FFmpeg before 3.2.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (allocation of huge memory, and being killed by the OS) via a crafted MOV 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 allocation vulnerability exists in the che_configure function in libavcodec/aacdec_template.c in FFmpeg versions before 3.2.1. When parsing a crafted MOV file containing AAC audio, the function allocates memory based on values extracted from the file without proper bounds checking, leading to excessive memory allocation and denial of service when the process is killed by the OS.
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<= 3.2CVSS 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 -version 2>&1 | head -1' to retrieve the version stringAffected if The version displayed is 3.2 or earlier (any version up to and including 3.2)
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Confirm FFmpeg library versionIf ffmpeg binary is not available, check the shared library file version: 'ls -la /usr/lib/libavcodec.so*' or similar path depending on OS, then use 'file' or check symlinksAffected if The linked libavcodec library version is 3.2 or earlier
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Identify if MOV file processing with AAC is in useReview application logs, scripts, or processes that invoke FFmpeg to process .mov files with AAC audio tracks - look for commands like 'ffmpeg -i input.mov' or API calls processing MOV containers with aac codecAffected if The environment processes MOV files containing AAC audio tracks using the affected FFmpeg version
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Audit active MOV file processing workflowsSearch for cron jobs, services, or automated pipelines that accept MOV file input and decode audio - check configuration files, scripts, or intake directories for MOV file handlingAffected if MOV file ingestion pipelines exist and utilize FFmpeg version 3.2 or earlier for audio extraction
You are affected if FFmpeg version 3.2 or earlier is installed AND your system processes MOV files containing AAC audio tracks with that version.
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 dataUpdate FFmpeg to version 3.2.1 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. Before deploying, validate all MOV file processing with the updated library in a staging environment.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2016-9561 — 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-2016-9561 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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