CVE-2025-2153: HDF5 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-2153 Overview

A critical heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in HDF5 version 1.14.6. The vulnerability exists within the H5SM_delete function in the H5SM.c file, which is part of the h5 File Handler component. This memory corruption flaw can be triggered through manipulation of specially crafted HDF5 files, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this heap-based buffer overflow could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes when processing malicious HDF5 files, though the attack complexity is high.

Affected Products

• HDF5 version 1.14.6
• Applications using HDF5 library for data processing
• Scientific computing environments utilizing HDF5 file formats

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-10 - CVE-2025-2153 published to NVD
• 2025-03-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2153

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) affecting the shared message deletion functionality in HDF5. The H5SM_delete function fails to properly validate buffer boundaries when processing shared object header messages within HDF5 files.

When a maliciously crafted HDF5 file is processed, the vulnerable function can write beyond allocated heap memory boundaries. While the attack requires user interaction to open a malicious file and the complexity is considered high, the vulnerability has been publicly disclosed with a proof-of-concept crash file available.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in insufficient bounds checking within the H5SM_delete function in H5SM.c. When handling shared message tables, the function does not adequately validate the size of input data against allocated buffer sizes before performing memory operations. This allows an attacker to craft an HDF5 file with malformed shared message structures that trigger the overflow condition.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, meaning a malicious HDF5 file can be delivered remotely via email, web download, or file sharing services. However, successful exploitation requires user interaction—the victim must open or process the malicious HDF5 file using an application linked against the vulnerable HDF5 library.

The vulnerability exploitation involves:

1. Creating a malformed HDF5 file with corrupted shared message table entries
2. Delivering the file to a target system running vulnerable HDF5-based applications
3. When the victim processes the file, the H5SM_delete function is invoked
4. Memory corruption occurs due to the heap-based buffer overflow

A proof-of-concept crash file demonstrating this vulnerability has been published. See the GitHub HDF5 Crash File for technical reference.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2153

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes in applications processing HDF5 files, particularly with segmentation faults or heap corruption errors
• Abnormal memory allocation patterns when opening HDF5 files
• Application logs showing errors related to shared message table operations or H5SM_delete function calls
• Presence of suspicious or unexpected HDF5 files with malformed internal structures

Detection Strategies

• Implement file integrity monitoring for HDF5 files entering the environment
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of monitoring memory corruption attempts
• Configure application crash monitoring to alert on HDF5-related process failures
• Use sandboxing solutions to analyze HDF5 files before processing in production environments

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for applications using the HDF5 library
• Monitor for unusual file access patterns involving HDF5 files from untrusted sources
• Implement network-level inspection for HDF5 files transferred via email or web downloads
• Track application stability metrics for processes that regularly handle HDF5 data

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2153

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all systems and applications using HDF5 version 1.14.6
• Restrict processing of HDF5 files from untrusted sources until patches are applied
• Implement network-level filtering to quarantine HDF5 files for analysis
• Monitor the GitHub Issue Discussion for updates from The HDF Group

Patch Information

At the time of publication, users should monitor The HDF Group's official channels and the GitHub issue tracker for security patch releases addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should plan to upgrade to a patched version of HDF5 once available.

Workarounds

• Avoid processing HDF5 files from untrusted or unknown sources
• Implement strict input validation for any applications accepting HDF5 files
• Deploy HDF5 processing in isolated sandbox environments with limited privileges
• Consider using static file analysis tools to validate HDF5 file structures before processing

For environments where untrusted HDF5 files must be processed, consider implementing a dedicated analysis system with restricted network access and process isolation to minimize potential impact from exploitation attempts.