CVE-2014-8542 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
libavcodec/utils.c in FFmpeg before 2.4.2 omits a certain codec ID during enforcement of alignment, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds access) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted JV data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8542 resides within the FFmpeg multimedia framework's libavcodec/utils.c component and affects versions prior to 2.4.2. This issue represents a critical flaw in the codec handling mechanism that specifically targets the JV (JVT Video) codec implementation. The vulnerability stems from an incomplete implementation of alignment enforcement mechanisms within the codec processing pipeline, creating a scenario where certain codec IDs are not properly validated or aligned before processing.
The technical flaw manifests when the FFmpeg library processes crafted JV data that contains malformed codec identifiers. During the decoding process, the utility functions fail to enforce proper alignment checks for a specific codec ID, allowing maliciously constructed data to bypass validation routines. This misconfiguration enables attackers to manipulate the memory access patterns within the decoding engine, potentially leading to out-of-bounds memory access violations. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of buffer management and codec parsing, where insufficient input validation creates a pathway for arbitrary memory manipulation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that utilize FFmpeg for video processing and streaming. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious JV data streams that, when processed by vulnerable FFmpeg implementations, trigger denial of service conditions. The potential impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the out-of-bounds access could potentially be leveraged for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution, depending on the specific memory corruption patterns and system configurations. The vulnerability affects a broad range of applications that depend on FFmpeg for multimedia processing, including content delivery networks, video streaming platforms, and media processing servers.
The flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with improper input validation patterns. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service, and potentially T1595.001 for reconnaissance activities targeting software vulnerabilities. The attack surface is particularly concerning given FFmpeg's widespread adoption across enterprise and consumer applications, making this vulnerability a prime target for exploitation in large-scale attacks. Organizations should prioritize updating their FFmpeg implementations to version 2.4.2 or later, which includes proper alignment enforcement for all codec IDs, along with implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts through malformed JV data packets.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of all affected FFmpeg installations, implementation of input validation mechanisms at network boundaries, and deployment of intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed JV data patterns. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application sandboxing techniques and memory protection mechanisms to limit the potential impact should exploitation occur. Regular security assessments of multimedia processing pipelines and comprehensive vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potentially affected components within the broader software ecosystem.