CVE-2012-2774 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
The ff_MPV_frame_start function in libavcodec/mpegvideo.c in FFmpeg before 0.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, related to starting "a frame outside SETUP state."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2774 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the FFmpeg multimedia framework that affects versions prior to 0.11. This flaw exists within the ff_MPV_frame_start function located in the libavcodec/mpegvideo.c file, which is responsible for handling frame processing in MPEG video decoding operations. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the function processes frames that are initiated outside of the proper SETUP state, creating a condition where memory corruption can occur through unspecified attack vectors that remote adversaries can exploit.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate state validation and memory management within the MPEG video decoding pipeline. When a frame is processed outside of the expected SETUP state, the function fails to properly validate input parameters and allocate memory resources, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios. This type of flaw falls under CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The improper handling of frame state transitions creates an environment where maliciously crafted video content can trigger unexpected behavior in the decoding process, potentially causing memory corruption that manifests as application instability or system crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process multimedia content, particularly those that handle untrusted video streams from web applications, media servers, or content delivery networks. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting specially formatted MPEG video files that, when processed by vulnerable FFmpeg implementations, will trigger the memory corruption condition. The denial of service impact extends beyond simple application crashes, as the memory corruption can potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability, making it a serious concern for media processing servers, streaming platforms, and any system that relies on FFmpeg for video decoding operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need local access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where multimedia content is frequently processed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2774 primarily focus on immediate version upgrades to FFmpeg 0.11 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the frame state validation issues. Organizations should also implement network-level filtering to prevent processing of untrusted multimedia content, particularly when dealing with user-uploaded files or content from external sources. Additional protective measures include deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious multimedia content patterns and implementing sandboxing techniques for video processing operations. Security teams should also consider disabling unnecessary video decoding capabilities in applications that do not require full multimedia support, reducing the attack surface. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers legitimate program execution through process injection, as the vulnerability could potentially be exploited to gain unauthorized code execution through memory corruption. System administrators should also monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about related vulnerabilities in multimedia processing frameworks.