CVE-2018-14379
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 · uneditedMP4Atom::factory in mp4atom.cpp in MP4v2 2.0.0 incorrectly uses the MP4ItemAtom data type in a certain case where MP4DataAtom is required, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted MP4 file, because access to the data structure has different expectations about layout as a result of this type confusion.
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 type confusion vulnerability in MP4v2 2.0.0 allows the MP4Atom::factory function to incorrectly instantiate an MP4ItemAtom when MP4DataAtom is required. Because these atom types have different memory layouts, this causes memory corruption when the code accesses the data with incorrect expectations about its structure. Attackers can exploit this via specially crafted MP4 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= 2.0.0CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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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Identify MP4v2 library presenceSearch for MP4v2 library files (libmp4v2.dll on Windows, libmp4v2.so on Linux) or check if applications using MP4v2 are installed. Use commands like 'find / -name "*mp4v2*"' on Linux or check installed programs on Windows.Affected if MP4v2 library version 2.0.0 is found on the system
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Determine MP4v2 versionRun version check command if available, or inspect the library file properties. On Linux: 'dpkg -l | grep mp4v2' or check library metadata. On Windows: right-click the DLL and view Properties > Details for version info.Affected if The installed version is exactly 2.0.0
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Identify applications using MP4v2Review which applications on the system depend on or use MP4v2 for MP4 file processing. Check application dependencies or documentation.Affected if Applications processing MP4 files rely on MP4v2 version 2.0.0
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Check for MP4 file processing workflowsReview whether the system or its applications accept and process MP4 files from external or untrusted sources. Examine file upload features, media processing tools, or any functionality that parses MP4 containers.Affected if MP4 files are processed using the vulnerable MP4v2 2.0.0 library
A system is affected if MP4v2 version 2.0.0 is installed and is used to process MP4 files, particularly when MP4DataAtom parsing is triggered by crafted files.
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 a patched version of MP4v2 or apply a code fix to ensure the factory method uses MP4DataAtom when MP4DataAtom is required, not MP4ItemAtom. Validate and sanitize MP4 files before processing.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-14379 — 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-2018-14379 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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