CVE-2013-4358 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
libavcodec/h264.c in FFmpeg before 0.11.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors related to alternating bit depths in H.264 data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4358 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the FFmpeg multimedia framework, specifically affecting the H.264 video decoding component. This issue resides in the libavcodec/h264.c file and impacts versions prior to 0.11.4, making it a significant concern for systems relying on FFmpeg for video processing and playback operations. The vulnerability manifests when processing H.264 encoded video streams that contain alternating bit depths, creating a condition that can lead to application crashes and system instability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and error handling within the H.264 decoding logic. When FFmpeg encounters H.264 data with alternating bit depths, the decoder fails to properly manage the varying data structures, leading to memory corruption and subsequent application termination. This flaw operates at the codec level where the decoder attempts to parse and reconstruct video frames without adequate boundary checks or data consistency validation. The alternating bit depth scenario creates an unexpected state within the decoder's internal buffers and data structures, ultimately causing a crash through improper memory access patterns.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risk to multimedia applications and services that depend on FFmpeg for video processing. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious H.264 streams containing the specific alternating bit depth pattern, enabling them to remotely crash video players, streaming servers, or any application that utilizes the vulnerable FFmpeg version. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect broader system stability, particularly in environments where FFmpeg is embedded within larger applications or network services. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for content delivery networks, video streaming platforms, and media processing systems that handle untrusted video content from multiple sources.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-248, addressing uncaught exceptions in the context of improper error handling. From an attack framework perspective, this issue maps to the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, specifically targeting application or system recovery through denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of improper input validation and memory management errors that are commonly exploited in multimedia processing environments. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability by upgrading to FFmpeg version 0.11.4 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and enhanced error handling mechanisms for H.264 data processing. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures and content filtering for video streams can provide additional defense in depth against similar vulnerabilities in multimedia processing pipelines.