CVE-2025-48005 in libbiosig
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2025
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the RHS2000 parsing functionality of The Biosig Project libbiosig 3.9.0 and Master Branch (35a819fa). A specially crafted RHS2000 file can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2025
The heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-48005 represents a critical security flaw within the biosig library ecosystem, specifically affecting version 3.9.0 and the master branch commit 35a819fa of The Biosig Project. This vulnerability resides within the RHS2000 parsing functionality, which is designed to process and interpret specific medical signal data formats commonly used in biomedical research and clinical applications. The flaw emerges when the library attempts to parse maliciously crafted RHS2000 files, creating a scenario where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations in the heap allocation space.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during the parsing process of RHS2000 formatted data structures. When the biosig library processes a malformed RHS2000 file, it fails to validate the size of incoming data buffers before copying or processing the information into heap-allocated memory regions. This oversight creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can craft a RHS2000 file containing oversized data sequences that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-121 Heap-based Buffer Overflow, which is categorized under the broader category of buffer overflow conditions that occur in heap memory management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, presenting a significant risk to systems processing medical data files. Given that biosig libraries are widely used in research institutions, hospitals, and clinical diagnostic environments, the potential for exploitation increases dramatically when considering that these systems may process untrusted input from various sources. Attackers could potentially deliver malicious RHS2000 files through email attachments, file sharing platforms, or compromised research databases, making the attack surface particularly broad. The arbitrary code execution capability means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain full control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, or further lateral movement within network environments. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in software to execute malicious code on target systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-48005 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems running libbiosig 3.9.0 or the master branch version. Organizations should implement strict input validation measures and file type filtering for all RHS2000 file processing workflows, particularly in environments where untrusted data sources are common. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual file processing patterns and potential exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis. System administrators should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure rapid deployment of security updates across all affected environments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software libraries and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures, particularly for medical and research applications that handle sensitive data and require high levels of system integrity.