CVE-2018-12460 in FFmpeg
Summary
by MITRE
libavcodec in FFmpeg 4.0 may trigger a NULL pointer dereference if the studio profile is incorrectly detected while converting a crafted AVI file to MPEG4, leading to a denial of service, related to idctdsp.c and mpegvideo.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12460 represents a critical NULL pointer dereference flaw within the FFmpeg library's libavcodec component version 4.0. This issue specifically manifests during the conversion process of crafted AVI files to MPEG4 format when the system incorrectly identifies a studio profile. The flaw resides in the interaction between idctdsp.c and mpegvideo.c source files, which form essential components of FFmpeg's video decoding and encoding infrastructure. The improper detection of studio profile parameters creates a condition where the software attempts to dereference a null pointer, resulting in an immediate crash of the application process.
The technical execution of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious AVI file that triggers the specific code path involving studio profile detection. When FFmpeg processes this malformed input, the incorrect profile detection causes the decoder to allocate memory structures improperly, leading to a scenario where a null pointer reference occurs during the MPEG4 conversion routine. This behavior directly violates the principles of safe memory management and demonstrates a classic example of improper input validation within multimedia processing libraries. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize FFmpeg for video format conversion, particularly those handling untrusted input files from external sources.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant denial of service risk to applications and systems that depend on FFmpeg for video processing capabilities. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially disrupt services that rely on continuous video processing workflows, such as media servers, content delivery networks, and video transcoding platforms. The flaw can be exploited by adversaries who craft malicious AVI files to target systems running vulnerable FFmpeg versions, causing legitimate processes to terminate unexpectedly and potentially leading to service interruption. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where automated video processing occurs, as a single malicious file could cause cascading failures across multiple processing pipelines. The attack surface is broad given FFmpeg's widespread adoption across various operating systems, media players, and content management systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-12460 involve immediate patching of FFmpeg installations to version 4.0.1 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the NULL pointer dereference issue. Organizations should implement robust input validation procedures and sanitize all video files before processing them through FFmpeg-based systems. The use of sandboxing techniques and restricted execution environments can help contain potential impacts if exploitation occurs. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual application behavior or crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure all FFmpeg installations remain patched against similar issues, as this represents a pattern of memory safety vulnerabilities that could affect multimedia processing libraries.