CVE-2012-2786 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the decode_wdlt function in libavcodec/dfa.c in FFmpeg before 0.11, and Libav 0.7.x before 0.7.7 and 0.8.x before 0.8.4, has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to an "out of array write."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2786 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting multimedia processing libraries used extensively across operating systems and applications. This issue resides within the decode_wdlt function located in libavcodec/dfa.c, a component responsible for decoding specific video formats within the FFmpeg ecosystem. The flaw manifests as an "out of array write" condition that can potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes, making it a significant concern for software developers and security professionals managing multimedia processing environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking within the decode_wdlt function, which processes data streams using deterministic finite automata for video decoding operations. When processing malformed or maliciously crafted video files, the function fails to validate array indices properly, leading to memory writes occurring beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient bounds checking, and represents a classic example of buffer overflow conditions that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or denial of service attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2786 extends across numerous software platforms that rely on FFmpeg or Libav for multimedia processing capabilities. Applications including web browsers, media players, content management systems, and server-side video processing tools all represent potential attack vectors where this vulnerability could be exploited. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of both FFmpeg and Libav demonstrates the widespread nature of the flaw, affecting systems from desktop environments to enterprise multimedia servers. Attackers could potentially craft malicious video files designed to trigger this condition when processed by vulnerable applications, leading to system compromise or service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate software updates to patched versions of FFmpeg and Libav, with the specific versions containing fixes being FFmpeg 0.11 and Libav 0.7.7 for 0.7.x releases, and 0.8.4 for 0.8.x releases. System administrators should prioritize patching all affected applications and platforms, particularly those handling untrusted multimedia content. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation for multimedia files, deploying sandboxing mechanisms for media processing, and utilizing network segmentation to limit exposure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving code injection and privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multimedia applications run with elevated privileges. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring for suspicious media file processing activities and maintain updated threat intelligence regarding similar vulnerabilities in multimedia processing libraries.