CVE-2025-15413 is a memory corruption vulnerability identified in the wasm3 WebAssembly interpreter, affecting all versions up to and including 0.5.0. The flaw resides in the functions op_SetSlot_i32 and op_CallIndirect within the m3_exec.h source file. These functions handle WebAssembly execution slots and indirect calls, and improper manipulation of their parameters or internal state can lead to memory corruption. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges, meaning an attacker must already have some level of access to the host system to exploit it. No user interaction is needed, and the attack complexity is low, but the scope is limited to local exploitation. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability by potentially allowing an attacker to corrupt memory, which could lead to crashes or arbitrary code execution within the wasm3 process. However, the CVSS score of 4.8 reflects that the attack vector is local and the overall impact is limited. The wasm3 project currently has no active maintainer, and no official patches or fixes have been released, increasing the risk for users relying on this interpreter. The exploit code has been made public, which raises the likelihood of exploitation attempts despite no known active exploits in the wild. wasm3 is commonly used in embedded systems, IoT devices, and local development environments for running WebAssembly code efficiently. The vulnerability thus primarily threatens environments where wasm3 is deployed locally and accessed by multiple users or processes.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-15413 is on the integrity and availability of systems running wasm3, as memory corruption can cause crashes or potentially enable arbitrary code execution within the wasm3 process. Since exploitation requires local access, remote systems are less directly threatened unless an attacker can gain initial foothold. Organizations using wasm3 in embedded devices, IoT platforms, or local development environments may face increased risk of privilege escalation or denial of service. The lack of active maintenance and absence of patches prolong the exposure window, increasing the likelihood of exploitation as public exploit code circulates. This vulnerability could lead to system instability, data corruption, or unauthorized code execution in environments relying on wasm3, impacting operational continuity and security. However, the medium CVSS score and local attack vector limit the overall severity to moderate. The threat is more significant in multi-user or shared environments where local attackers might leverage this flaw to escalate privileges or disrupt services.

Given the absence of official patches, organizations should implement strict local access controls to limit who can execute or interact with wasm3. Employ sandboxing or containerization to isolate wasm3 processes and minimize the impact of potential memory corruption. Monitor system logs and behavior for anomalies indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected crashes or memory errors related to wasm3. Consider replacing wasm3 with alternative WebAssembly runtimes that are actively maintained and have no known vulnerabilities. If continuing to use wasm3, conduct thorough code audits and apply custom patches if feasible. Limit wasm3 usage to trusted environments and avoid exposing it to untrusted users or processes. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential exploitation consequences. Engage with the wasm3 community or security researchers to track any emerging fixes or mitigations.