CVE-2017-9255
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_stsc 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 confidenceA denial of service vulnerability exists in FAAD2 2.7's mp4ff_read_stsc function in common/mp4ff/mp4atom.c. When parsing a specially crafted MP4 file, the function enters a large loop causing excessive CPU consumption. This occurs during parsing of the STSC (Sample To Chunk Box) atom where malformed input triggers unbounded iteration.
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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Confirm FAAD2 version 2.7 is in useCheck the installed FAAD2 library version by running 'faad -v' or inspecting the library binary with 'strings' or a version tool, or check the package manager for the installed versionAffected if The installed version is exactly 2.7 or the binary/library contains version 2.7 strings
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Locate the vulnerable mp4ff_read_stsc functionInspect the file common/mp4ff/mp4atom.c in the FAAD2 source, or use 'strings' or 'nm' on the compiled library to search for 'mp4ff_read_stsc'Affected if The function mp4ff_read_stsc exists in the installed binary or source code, which it will for any standard FAAD2 2.7 build
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Determine if MP4 file parsing is enabledCheck if the application using FAAD2 has MP4 demuxing or parsing functionality enabled, or if MP4 input files are being processedAffected if The FAAD2 library is being used to decode or parse MP4 container files, which triggers the vulnerable STSC atom parsing code path
You are affected if FAAD2 version 2.7 is installed and is being used to parse MP4 files, as the vulnerable unbounded loop in mp4ff_read_stsc will be triggered during STSC atom processing
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. If patching is not feasible, implement input validation or loop iteration limits on MP4 file parsing to prevent the unbounded loop condition.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 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 $2,512.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-9255 — 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-2017-9255 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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