PixelSmash
CVE-2026-8461, dubbed PixelSmash, is a heap out-of-bounds write in FFmpeg's libavcodec MagicYUV decoder, associated with libavcodec/magicyuv.C and affecting FFmpeg versions before 8.1.2. The flaw is triggered by specially crafted MagicYUV media in supported containers such as AVI, MKV, or MOV. The reported root cause is inconsistent chroma plane height calculations between FFmpeg's frame allocator and the MagicYUV decoder during sliced frame processing, particularly involving odd slice_height values in subsampled formats such as YUV420P. This mismatch can cause the decoder to write an extra chroma row past the end of the allocated heap buffer. Researchers reported that the overflow is attacker-controlled and can corrupt adjacent heap structures, including AVBuffer metadata, leading to application crashes and, under specific conditions, code execution.
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Impact
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Exploits
3 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (1 hidden).
Repository contains a single Python exploit generator and a README. The main file, CVE-2026-8461.py, is a standalone Python 3 proof-of-concept/operational exploit builder for a claimed FFmpeg MagicYUV decoder out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CVE-2026-8461, 'PixelSmash'). The script constructs a minimal MagicYUV frame inside an AVI container, deliberately using SLICE_HEIGHT=31 and crafted chroma-plane data to trigger an out-of-bounds write during decoding. Its exploitation strategy is more than a crash PoC: it embeds an attacker-supplied shell command into a heap-shaped payload, preserves optional glibc metadata, and overwrites fields resembling an AVBuffer structure so that a function pointer/free callback is replaced with system() and the opaque pointer references the command buffer. The script supports target-specific calibration through a JSON file or direct CLI parameters for system() and command heap addresses, indicating an attempt at practical RCE under controlled conditions. Repository structure is minimal: README.md documents the vulnerability, impact, affected software, and mitigation; CVE-2026-8461.py is the only code file and clear entry point. No network communication, C2, or remote endpoints are present in the code; delivery is via a malicious media file, making the primary attack vector file-based against applications or services that automatically decode MagicYUV/FFmpeg content.
Repository contains a working Python-based exploit PoC for CVE-2026-8461 ('PixelSmash'), a heap out-of-bounds write in FFmpeg's MagicYUV decoder. The repo structure is straightforward: two detailed analysis documents (English and Chinese), a README with usage instructions, and three Python scripts comprising the exploit workflow. `exploit_cve_2026_8461.py` is the main payload generator that crafts a malicious AVI with MagicYUV frame geometry chosen to force a 640-byte OOB write from the Cb plane on the final slice. It uses inverse left-prediction encoding so the decoded bytes in heap memory become attacker-chosen values, then overwrites AVBuffer fields to redirect `free` to `system()` and point `opaque` at an embedded shell command string. `auto_calibrate.py` supports debug-symbol FFmpeg builds by driving GDB with source breakpoints at `magicyuv.c:291`, dumping heap-adjacent memory, locating AVBuffer structures, and extracting the `system()` address. `auto_calibrate_nosym.py` performs similar calibration for stripped dynamically linked builds by breaking on exported `av_buffer_create`, identifying Cb/Cr allocations, setting a hardware watchpoint on the expected OOB start, and reconstructing heap metadata from the dump. The exploit is not framework-based and is more than a detector: it is an operational PoC with a hardcoded exploitation strategy and customizable shell-command payload. Primary attack vector is file-based delivery of a crafted AVI to any application that fully decodes MagicYUV content via vulnerable FFmpeg/libavcodec. The README explicitly notes that probe-only paths such as `ffprobe` or `ffmpeg -i file` without output do not trigger the final execution path. Practical exploitation is constrained: tested on x86_64, depends on glibc heap layout, requires ASLR disabled, and calibration is specific to binary build, libc version, and even AVI path length. Notable fingerprintable artifacts include `/tmp/exploit.avi`, `calibration.json`, `/tmp/pwned`, the vulnerable source path `libavcodec/magicyuv.c`, and an example reverse-shell callback target `10.0.0.1:4444` embedded only as sample payload text.
Repository contains a README and a single Python exploit generator, exploit_cve_2026_8461.py. The script is not a scanner or detector; it builds crafted AVI files intended to exploit CVE-2026-8461 in FFmpeg's MagicYUV decoder. The stated exploit chain is a heap out-of-bounds write leading to corruption of an adjacent AVBuffer structure, overwriting its free callback with system() and arranging a heap-resident command string so cleanup triggers arbitrary command execution. The code structure includes helper packing/unpacking routines, left-prediction encode/decode logic to shape pixel bytes into desired post-decode memory contents, a TargetCalibration dataclass for target-specific offsets and addresses, frame-building logic for malicious MagicYUV content, AVI container construction, calibration support, and a CLI main() routine. The exploit supports two modes: a baseline crash/OOB mode and a calibrated RCE mode. The baseline mode generates a file expected to crash or corrupt memory on vulnerable FFmpeg. The RCE mode requires explicit parameters such as system() address, heap command address, AVBuffer offset, and optionally calibration JSON/glibc metadata. Operationally, the exploit is file-based: the attacker delivers a malicious AVI and waits for a local ffmpeg process to decode it. The script assumes a narrow target environment: ASLR disabled, glibc malloc allocator, calibrated heap layout, and a vulnerable unpatched FFmpeg build. Because the payload is an attacker-provided shell command but relies on hardcoded addresses and manual calibration rather than a reusable framework, the maturity is best classified as OPERATIONAL rather than WEAPONIZED.
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Recent activity
62 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A critical vulnerability in FFmpeg’s MagicYUV decoder that can be triggered by a malformed video file, leading to denial of service and potentially remote code execution in systems that process untrusted media.
Out-of-bounds heap buffer write in FFmpeg's MagicYUV decoder that can be triggered by a crafted video file, potentially causing crashes or remote code execution in applications and servers using libavcodec.
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in FFmpeg’s MagicYUV decoder that can cause denial of service and, in specific cases, remote code execution by exploiting malformed slice height handling and overwriting heap structures such as AVBuffer.
A heap out-of-bounds write vulnerability in FFmpeg's libavcodec MagicYUV decoder that can lead to application crashes and remote code execution via crafted media files.
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