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CVE Record

CVE-2020-22041: A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 4.2 due to a memory leak in the av_buffersrc_add_frame_f...

A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 4.2 due to a memory leak in the av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags function in buffersrc.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2020-22041 is reported as a denial-of-service issue in FFmpeg 4.2. A memory leak in the buffersrc component could let processing activity consume resources until service reliability is affected. The source bundle does not provide severity, CVSS, precise affected package ranges, or confirmed exploitation.

Executive priority

Treat this as a reliability risk for media-processing services, not as a confirmed active intrusion threat. Prioritize inventory and vendor updates where FFmpeg handles external media or supports customer-facing workflows.

Technical view

The issue is described as a memory leak in FFmpeg 4.2 within av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags in buffersrc. The available public references include an FFmpeg tracker ticket and a Debian LTS ffmpeg security update. No CWE, CVSS vector, detailed trigger conditions, or affected CPEs are provided in the bundle.

Likely exposure

Likely exposure is limited to environments using FFmpeg 4.2 or distribution packages covered by the referenced Debian LTS update. Higher concern applies where FFmpeg processes media from users or external sources, but exact vulnerable builds and preconditions are not established in the provided sources.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV status is false. It characterizes the impact as denial of service from a memory leak, but does not provide exploit availability, attack complexity, authentication requirements, or network exposure details.

Researcher notes

Evidence is sparse. The CVE description identifies the vulnerable function and impact class, but the bundle lacks CVSS, CWE, affected CPEs, trigger details, and fixed upstream commit information. Use vendor advisories and package changelogs for precise remediation decisions.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify systems and applications that bundle or call FFmpeg.
  • Check FFmpeg and operating-system vendor advisories for fixed package versions.
  • Apply relevant vendor security updates, including Debian LTS packages where applicable.
  • Reduce processing of untrusted media until vulnerable FFmpeg instances are updated.
  • Monitor media-processing services for abnormal memory growth or repeated failures.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm deployed FFmpeg versions and package provenance.
  • Map applications that invoke FFmpeg in production workflows.
  • Verify whether Debian DLA 2818-1 or equivalent vendor updates are applied.
  • Review service telemetry for memory growth during media-processing jobs.
  • Document any remaining FFmpeg 4.2 instances and compensating controls.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.