CVE-2013-7008 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
The decode_slice_header function in libavcodec/h264.c in FFmpeg before 2.1 incorrectly relies on a certain droppable field, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (deadlock) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted H.264 data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-7008 represents a critical flaw in the FFmpeg multimedia framework's H.264 video decoding implementation. This issue resides within the decode_slice_header function located in libavcodec/h264.c, where the software fails to properly validate or handle a specific droppable field during video frame processing. The flaw affects FFmpeg versions prior to 2.1, making it a significant concern for systems relying on this widely-used open-source media processing library. The vulnerability stems from an inadequate implementation that assumes certain field values will remain consistent, creating a path for malicious input to disrupt normal operation.
The technical execution of this vulnerability involves crafting specific H.264 encoded data that exploits the improper handling of the droppable field within the slice header structure. When FFmpeg processes this malformed data through the decode_slice_header function, the software enters an unpredictable state where it may become unresponsive or enter a deadlock condition. This occurs because the function's logic does not adequately account for edge cases or malformed input that could cause the decoding process to hang indefinitely. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially encompass unspecified other consequences, suggesting the possibility of more severe system compromise or data corruption.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to systems that process untrusted video content, including media servers, content delivery networks, and multimedia applications. The potential for remote attackers to trigger a denial of service through crafted video streams means that any system processing H.264 video content could become unavailable to legitimate users. The deadlock condition can persist for extended periods, effectively rendering the affected service unusable until manual intervention occurs. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where continuous availability is critical for business operations.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2013-7008 primarily involves upgrading to FFmpeg version 2.1 or later, where the problematic code has been corrected to properly handle the droppable field validation. System administrators should prioritize this update across all environments processing H.264 video streams, including web applications, streaming servers, and media processing pipelines. Additionally, implementing input validation and sanitization measures at network boundaries can provide defense-in-depth protection. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious video data patterns and monitoring for unusual processing behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129 and CWE-362 categories related to improper input validation and concurrent execution issues, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving denial of service and privilege escalation through software exploitation.