CVE-2025-15413 identifies a memory corruption vulnerability in wasm3, a lightweight WebAssembly interpreter, affecting all versions up to 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 instruction execution, and improper manipulation of their operations can corrupt memory, potentially leading to undefined behavior such as crashes or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges and does not require user interaction, making exploitation feasible in environments where an attacker has some level of system access. The vulnerability's exploitation vector is limited to local attacks, reducing its risk in remote attack scenarios. The wasm3 project currently lacks an active maintainer, and no official patches or fixes have been released, increasing the risk for users relying on this interpreter. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.8 score, reflecting medium severity, with partial impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The exploit code has been publicly disclosed, which may increase the likelihood of exploitation attempts, although no active exploitation has been reported. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for embedded systems, development environments, or local applications using wasm3 for WebAssembly execution.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-15413 depends on the extent of wasm3 usage within their infrastructure. Organizations embedding wasm3 in local applications or devices may face risks of local privilege escalation, denial of service, or potential code execution if attackers gain local access. This could affect software development firms, IoT device manufacturers, and companies using wasm3 in testing or runtime environments. The lack of active maintenance and absence of patches increases the risk exposure, as organizations may need to implement workarounds or consider alternative WebAssembly runtimes. The vulnerability's local attack vector limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised local accounts could leverage this flaw. Disruption or compromise of critical systems using wasm3 could impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services, particularly in sectors relying on embedded or edge computing devices. The medium severity suggests moderate risk, but the public exploit availability and no patch status elevate the urgency for mitigation.

Given the absence of official patches due to the lack of active maintainership, European organizations should consider the following specific mitigations: 1) Audit and inventory all instances of wasm3 usage to identify affected versions and deployment contexts. 2) Restrict local access to systems running wasm3 to trusted users only, employing strict access controls and monitoring for suspicious activity. 3) Employ application sandboxing or containerization to isolate wasm3 execution environments, limiting the impact of potential memory corruption. 4) Consider replacing wasm3 with actively maintained WebAssembly runtimes that provide security updates and patches. 5) Implement runtime protections such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to mitigate exploitation impact. 6) Monitor security advisories for any future patches or forks addressing this vulnerability. 7) Conduct internal code reviews or static analysis if custom modifications of wasm3 exist to identify and remediate unsafe usage patterns. 8) Educate local users and administrators about the risks of local exploitation and enforce strong endpoint security policies.