CVE-2025-2175 in libzvbi
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2025
A vulnerability was found in libzvbi up to 0.2.43. It has been rated as problematic. Affected by this issue is the function _vbi_strndup_iconv. The manipulation leads to integer overflow. The attack may be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. Upgrading to version 0.2.44 is able to address this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The code maintainer was informed beforehand about the issues. She reacted very fast and highly professional.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-2175 affects the libzvbi library version 0.2.43 and earlier, representing a critical integer overflow condition within the _vbi_strndup_iconv function. This library serves as a crucial component for handling teletext and closed caption data in video applications, making it a potential target for attackers seeking to exploit system vulnerabilities. The integer overflow occurs when processing user-supplied input through the iconv conversion function, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to cause arithmetic overflow conditions that can result in memory corruption.
The technical flaw manifests when the function processes character encoding conversions without proper validation of input lengths, leading to scenarios where integer arithmetic operations exceed the maximum representable value for the data type used. This condition creates a predictable overflow that can be manipulated by attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that malicious actors can trigger the overflow through network-based inputs without requiring local system access, significantly expanding the attack surface.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, as it represents a serious security risk for applications utilizing libzvbi for processing video content with embedded teletext or closed caption data. Systems that process multimedia content from untrusted sources become particularly vulnerable, including broadcast systems, video streaming platforms, and content management applications. The public disclosure of the exploit further amplifies the risk, as attackers can leverage existing code to target vulnerable installations without requiring advanced exploitation techniques. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation of software vulnerabilities.
The remediation strategy centers on upgrading to libzvbi version 0.2.44, which incorporates patches addressing the integer overflow condition through proper input validation and bounds checking. System administrators should prioritize this upgrade across all affected environments, particularly those handling multimedia content from external sources. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and applying input sanitization measures where possible. The swift response from the code maintainer demonstrates effective vulnerability management practices, though organizations should maintain continuous monitoring for related vulnerabilities in the broader software supply chain and consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely remediation of similar issues.