CVE-2017-9253
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 mp4ff_read_stsd function in common/mp4ff/mp4atom.c in Freeware Advanced Audio Decoder 2 (FAAD2) 2.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (large loop and CPU consumption) via a crafted mp4 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 confidenceDenial of service vulnerability in FAAD2 2.7's mp4ff_read_stsd function in common/mp4ff/mp4atom.c. A crafted mp4 file can trigger a large loop causing excessive CPU consumption.
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= 2.7CVSS 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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Detect if FAAD2 is installedCheck for the faad binary or library files (libfaad.so, faad2.dll, or faad executable) in common system locations such as /usr/bin/faad, /usr/lib/, or on Windows in C:\Program Files\faad2\Affected if FAAD2 is present on the system
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Identify the installed FAAD2 versionRun 'faad -v' or 'faad --version' from the command line, or check the version metadata of the library file (libfaad.so.X.X.X or faad2.dll)Affected if The version reported is exactly 2.7
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Confirm MP4 decoding support is in useVerify that the mp4ff module (mp4ff_read_stsd function) is available by attempting to decode an MP4 file with faad, or check for the presence of common/mp4ff/mp4atom.c in the source if compiling from sourceAffected if MP4 file decoding functionality is present and usable
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Determine if untrusted MP4 files are processedAudit logs, workflows, or applications that invoke FAAD2 to decode MP4 files from untrusted sources such as user uploads, network streams, or external inputsAffected if FAAD2 is used to process MP4 files from untrusted or external sources
A system is affected if FAAD2 version 2.7 is installed, the MP4 decoding module (mp4ff) is in use, and untrusted MP4 files are processed by the vulnerable mp4ff_read_stsd function.
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 FAAD2 to a patched version if available, or implement input validation/bounds checking in the mp4ff_read_stsd function to prevent unbounded loops when processing untrusted MP4 files.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-9253 — 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-2017-9253 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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