4.8
MEDIUM CVSS 4.0
CVE-2026-125236
FFmpeg through 9.0.2 VVC Decoder Memory Leak via alloc_frame()
Description

FFmpeg through 9.0.2 contains a memory leak vulnerability in alloc_frame() in libavcodec/vvc/refs.c that leaks SPS and PPS references when frame buffer allocation fails. Attackers can supply a crafted VVC (H.266) stream that repeatedly replaces parameter sets, steadily growing memory use and causing denial of service.

INFO

Published Date :

Nov. 9, 2026, 7:17 p.m.

Last Modified :

Nov. 9, 2026, 7:17 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-125236 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Ffmpeg ffmpeg
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 LOW 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 LOW [email protected]
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 MEDIUM [email protected]
Solution
Update FFmpeg to a version that fixes the memory leak in frame buffer allocation.
  • Update FFmpeg to a version that addresses the memory leak.
  • Apply patches provided by the FFmpeg project.
  • Review allocation failure handling for memory leaks.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-125236 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-125236 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-125236 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-125236 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Nov. 09, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description FFmpeg through 9.0.2 contains a memory leak vulnerability in alloc_frame() in libavcodec/vvc/refs.c that leaks SPS and PPS references when frame buffer allocation fails. Attackers can supply a crafted VVC (H.266) stream that repeatedly replaces parameter sets, steadily growing memory use and causing denial of service.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
    Added CWE CWE-401
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/125xxx/CVE-2026-125236.json">CVE-2026-125236</a>
    Added Reference https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/pulls/25088
    Added Reference https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg
    Added Reference https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/blob/n9.0.2/libavcodec/vvc/refs.c#L133
    Added Reference https://github.com/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/commit/a13e27336a61a3452e1ab8b4bb132c4174c67498
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/ffmpeg-through-9.0.2-vvc-decoder-memory-leak-via-alloc-frame
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.