CVE-2018-11202 in HDF5
Summary
by MITRE
A NULL pointer dereference was discovered in H5S_hyper_make_spans in H5Shyper.c in the HDF HDF5 1.10.2 library. It could allow a remote denial of service attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11202 represents a critical NULL pointer dereference flaw within the HDF5 library's hypercube span management functionality. This issue exists in the H5S_hyper_make_spans function located in the H5Shyper.c source file of HDF5 version 1.10.2. The flaw manifests when processing malformed hypercube datasets that contain invalid span configurations, leading to a situation where the software attempts to dereference a null pointer during normal execution flow. This particular vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and memory management errors, aligning with CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereferences. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through remote code execution scenarios where maliciously crafted HDF5 files are processed by applications that utilize the affected library.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a specially malformed HDF5 file containing invalid hypercube span data structures. During the processing of such files, the H5S_hyper_make_spans function fails to properly validate input parameters before attempting to access memory locations that may not have been properly initialized. This results in a segmentation fault or access violation that terminates the target application process, effectively creating a remote denial of service condition. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with the attack pattern described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Execution: Command and Scripting Interpreter" where malicious inputs cause unexpected program termination through memory corruption patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect a wide range of applications that depend on HDF5 for scientific data management and storage. Systems utilizing HDF5 for data processing, scientific computing, and data analysis platforms become vulnerable to remote attackers who can craft malicious files to crash these applications. This creates significant risk for environments where continuous operation is critical, such as research facilities, data centers, and scientific computing clusters that process large volumes of scientific data. The vulnerability affects all applications that use HDF5 library versions 1.10.2 and earlier, including but not limited to data analysis software, scientific computing frameworks, and data visualization tools that rely on the library for efficient data storage and retrieval operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and version updates to address the root cause. Organizations should prioritize updating their HDF5 installations to version 1.10.3 or later, where the NULL pointer dereference has been resolved through proper input validation and memory management improvements. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures at the application level can provide defense-in-depth protection by validating HDF5 file structures before processing. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure to potentially malicious files, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual application termination patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all affected systems and applications within their infrastructure.