CVE-2018-11207 in HDF5
Summary
by MITRE
A division by zero was discovered in H5D__chunk_init in H5Dchunk.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 • 05/11/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11207 represents a critical division by zero error within the Hierarchical Data Format HDF5 library version 1.10.2. This flaw exists in the H5D__chunk_init function located in the H5Dchunk.c source file, which is part of the core data management components of the HDF5 software suite. The HDF5 library serves as a universal data model, library, and file format for storing and managing large amounts of data, making it widely used across scientific computing, data analysis, and research applications where data integrity and system stability are paramount.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the chunk initialization process that occurs when processing data structures in HDF5 files. When the library encounters specific malformed or malicious input data during chunk processing, the division by zero condition causes the application to crash or become unresponsive. This occurs because the code does not properly validate the denominator value before performing division operations, allowing an attacker to craft input that triggers this arithmetic exception. The flaw specifically manifests during the initialization phase of data chunks, which are fundamental building blocks for organizing and storing data within HDF5 files.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-11207 presents a significant remote denial of service risk that can affect any system running applications utilizing the vulnerable HDF5 library version 1.10.2. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted HDF5 files or data streams that trigger the division by zero condition during normal library operations. This allows for remote exploitation without requiring authentication, potentially causing system crashes, application termination, or resource exhaustion. The vulnerability affects systems where HDF5 libraries are used for data processing, scientific computing, or any application that handles HDF5 formatted data, including research institutions, government agencies, and commercial data processing platforms. The remote nature of the attack means that systems may be compromised simply by opening or processing the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in environments where automated data ingestion occurs.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-369, which specifically addresses the division by zero condition in software systems. The attack surface aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. Organizations should immediately apply the patch released by The HDF Group that addresses this specific division by zero condition in the chunk initialization logic. Mitigation strategies include implementing input validation measures, deploying network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for unusual file processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for processing untrusted HDF5 data and regularly updating all systems using the HDF5 library to versions that contain the fix. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and error handling in scientific data processing libraries where malformed inputs can lead to system instability and denial of service conditions.