CVE-2025-5643 in Radare2
Summary
by MITRE • 06/05/2025
A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in Radare2 5.9.9. Affected by this vulnerability is the function cons_stack_load in the library /libr/cons/cons.c of the component radiff2. The manipulation of the argument -T leads to memory corruption. An attack has to be approached locally. The complexity of an attack is rather high. The exploitation appears to be difficult. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The real existence of this vulnerability is still doubted at the moment. The patch is named 5705d99cc1f23f36f9a84aab26d1724010b97798. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue. The documentation explains that the parameter -T is experimental and "crashy". Further analysis has shown "the race is not a real problem unless you use asan". A new warning has been added.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2025
CVE-2025-5643 represents a memory corruption vulnerability within Radare2 version 5.9.9, specifically affecting the cons_stack_load function in the radiff2 component. This vulnerability resides in the /libr/cons/cons.c library file and manifests when processing the -T command line argument. The flaw constitutes a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs during argument parsing, where improper handling of the -T parameter can lead to unpredictable memory state changes. The vulnerability is classified as locally exploitable, requiring physical access or local system compromise, though the attack complexity is noted as high and exploitation difficulty as substantial. Security researchers have documented that while an exploit exists and has been publicly disclosed, the actual practical impact remains under scrutiny, suggesting that the vulnerability may not be easily leveraged in real-world scenarios without significant technical expertise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the cons_stack_load function, which processes stack-related operations for the radiff2 utility. When the -T parameter is passed to the application, the function fails to properly validate or sanitize the input, potentially leading to stack-based buffer overflows or heap corruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability's classification as experimental and "crashy" in the documentation indicates that the developers were aware of instability issues with this particular parameter handling, suggesting that the flaw may have been introduced during experimental development phases where proper bounds checking was omitted.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-5643 extends beyond simple application crashes, as memory corruption vulnerabilities can potentially allow for more sophisticated attacks if combined with other exploitation techniques. Local attackers with system access could potentially leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service conditions that might disrupt legitimate application functionality. The vulnerability's resistance to exploitation suggests that attackers would need to overcome multiple security barriers, including potential ASLR and DEP protections, making it less attractive for widespread automated attacks. However, the presence of a disclosed exploit indicates that determined adversaries may have successfully developed working attack vectors against this flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-5643 should prioritize immediate patch application, with the specific fix identified as commit 5705d99cc1f23f36f9a84aab26d1724010b97798. System administrators should prioritize updating to the patched version of Radare2, particularly in environments where local system access is not strictly controlled or where the application is used in security-sensitive contexts. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation for command line arguments, utilizing application sandboxing techniques, and employing runtime monitoring tools to detect anomalous memory access patterns. Organizations should also consider disabling or restricting the use of the -T parameter until proper validation can be implemented, as indicated by the documentation's warning about this experimental feature being "crashy." The vulnerability's nature as a local privilege escalation risk necessitates careful monitoring of system logs for unusual application behavior and potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to ensure preparedness for potential exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where Radare2 is used for security analysis and reverse engineering activities. The vulnerability's experimental status and the added warning in the documentation suggest that similar issues may exist in other experimental features, warranting broader code review and security assessment of the Radare2 codebase.