CVE-2012-0858 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
The Shorten codec (shorten.c) in libavcodec in FFmpeg 0.7.x before 0.7.12 and 0.8.x before 0.8.11, and in Libav 0.5.x before 0.5.9, 0.6.x before 0.6.6, 0.7.x before 0.7.5, and 0.8.x before 0.8.1, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted Shorten file, related to an "invalid free".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0858 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Shorten audio codec implementation in FFmpeg and Libav multimedia frameworks. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to the mentioned secure releases, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit memory management errors that can result in system instability and potential code execution. The flaw resides in the shorten.c file within the libavcodec module, which handles the decoding of Shorten compressed audio files commonly used in audio production and distribution workflows.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the Shorten codec parser, specifically manifesting as an "invalid free" operation. When processing maliciously crafted Shorten files, the decoder attempts to free memory that has either already been freed or was never allocated, leading to undefined behavior patterns. This memory corruption vulnerability can be classified under CWE-415 as an double free error or CWE-416 as an use after free condition, depending on the exact execution path taken during file parsing. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of heap-based memory corruption that can be exploited through carefully constructed input files designed to manipulate the decoder's internal state and memory allocation patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it presents a potential vector for remote code execution in affected systems. Attackers can craft specially formatted Shorten audio files that, when processed by vulnerable applications, trigger the memory corruption conditions leading to application crashes or arbitrary code execution. This risk is particularly significant in environments where multimedia processing occurs automatically, such as web servers handling user-uploaded content, media streaming platforms, or content management systems that process audio files without proper sanitization. The vulnerability affects a wide range of applications that depend on FFmpeg or Libav for audio processing, including but not limited to video editing software, media servers, streaming platforms, and digital audio workstations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0858 require immediate patching of affected software versions to the secure releases mentioned in the vulnerability description. Organizations should prioritize updating their FFmpeg and Libav installations to versions 0.7.12, 0.8.11, 0.5.9, 0.6.6, 0.7.5, and 0.8.1 or later, depending on their current software version. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization measures can provide defense-in-depth protection, including restricting file type processing, implementing strict file format checking, and deploying sandboxed environments for audio file processing. Network-based mitigations such as content filtering and automatic file type detection can help prevent exploitation by blocking potentially malicious Shorten files before they reach vulnerable applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communication, privilege escalation, and execution through compromised software supply chains, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security posture management across all multimedia processing systems.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in multimedia codecs and the potential for seemingly benign file format parsing to create severe security risks. This flaw highlights the necessity of thorough code review processes for multimedia libraries and the importance of implementing robust input validation mechanisms. The widespread adoption of FFmpeg and Libav in multimedia applications makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous, as exploitation can affect numerous applications across different platforms and operating systems. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their multimedia processing pipelines and ensure that all dependencies are regularly updated to address known security issues. The incident underscores the need for continuous security monitoring and rapid response capabilities to address vulnerabilities in widely used multimedia processing libraries.