CVE-2018-17438 in HDF5
Summary
by MITRE
A SIGFPE signal is raised in the function H5D__select_io() of H5Dselect.c in the HDF HDF5 through 1.10.3 library during an attempted parse of a crafted HDF file, because of incorrect protection against division by zero. It could allow a remote denial of service attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17438 represents a critical flaw in the HDF5 library version 1.10.3 and earlier, where a signal exception is triggered during file parsing operations. This issue occurs within the H5D__select_io() function located in the H5Dselect.c source file, demonstrating a classic division by zero error that results in a SIGFPE signal being raised. The flaw specifically manifests when processing specially crafted HDF files that exploit the library's handling of data selection operations, creating a scenario where the application terminates unexpectedly due to improper error handling mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the HDF5 library's data selection functionality. When the library attempts to process malformed HDF files, the H5D__select_io() function fails to properly protect against division by zero conditions that occur during mathematical operations required for data selection calculations. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-369, which specifically addresses the division by zero weakness, and falls under the broader category of improper input validation issues. The flaw exists at the intersection of data parsing and mathematical computation within the library's core processing pipeline, where the absence of proper boundary checks allows malicious inputs to trigger unexpected program termination.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends to any system or application that utilizes the affected HDF5 library versions for processing HDF files, particularly in environments where external file inputs are accepted without proper sanitization. Attackers can exploit this weakness through remote denial of service attacks by simply providing a specially crafted HDF file that triggers the division by zero condition during parsing. This creates a scenario where legitimate users may be unable to access or process valid HDF files, effectively rendering the affected applications unavailable to their intended users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in server environments where file processing is automated, as it could enable attackers to systematically disrupt services through repeated exploitation attempts, potentially leading to significant operational downtime.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-17438 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to upgrade to HDF5 library versions 1.10.4 or later, which contain the necessary fixes for the division by zero condition. Organizations should implement robust input validation mechanisms that sanitize all external HDF file inputs before processing, including file format verification and size limitation checks. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that monitor for unusual file processing patterns and implementing application sandboxing techniques can help reduce the attack surface. From an operational security perspective, regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other third-party libraries. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, emphasizing the importance of implementing proper error handling and input validation as defensive measures against such attacks.