CVE-2020-22037

Name: CVE-2020-22037
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-06-01T20:15:07.703+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 1.60%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2020-22037 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 4.2 due to a memory leak in avcodec_alloc_context3 at options.c.. EPSS estimates a 1.60% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 4.2 due to a memory leak in avcodec_alloc_context3 at options.c.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

1.60%

72.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-401

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Ffmpeg	Ffmpeg	4.2
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0
Debian	Debian Linux	11.0

References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00012.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/8281Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4990Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4998Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00012.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/8281Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4990Third Party Advisory
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4998Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 1, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-22037?

A Denial of Service vulnerability exists in FFmpeg 4.2 due to a memory leak in avcodec_alloc_context3 at options.c.

How severe is CVE-2020-22037?

CVE-2020-22037 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.60% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2020-22037?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2020-22037?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST