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 execution slots and indirect function calls, respectively. Improper manipulation of these functions can corrupt memory, potentially leading to application crashes or undefined behavior. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges, meaning an attacker must have some form of local system access but does not require elevated privileges or user interaction to exploit. The vulnerability is rated medium severity with a CVSS 4.8 score, reflecting limited attack vector (local), low complexity, and partial impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The wasm3 project currently lacks an active maintainer, and no official patches or fixes have been released, increasing the risk of exploitation as public exploit code is available. This situation necessitates that users of wasm3 carefully evaluate their exposure, especially in environments where wasm3 is embedded or used in local execution contexts.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in potential memory corruption leading to application instability, crashes, or possible execution of arbitrary code depending on the exploitation context. Since wasm3 is a lightweight WebAssembly interpreter often embedded in IoT devices, edge computing, or local applications, organizations relying on such technologies could face service disruptions or data integrity issues. The local access requirement limits remote exploitation risk but raises concerns for insider threats or compromised local accounts. The lack of active maintenance and absence of patches increase the window of exposure. Industries such as manufacturing, automotive, telecommunications, and software development in Europe that integrate wasm3 into their products or workflows may be particularly vulnerable. The medium severity rating suggests moderate risk, but the operational impact could be significant if exploited in critical systems.

Given the absence of official patches, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Restrict local access to systems running wasm3 to trusted users only, employing strict access controls and monitoring. 2) Employ application sandboxing or containerization to limit the impact of potential memory corruption within wasm3 processes. 3) Conduct thorough code audits and consider replacing wasm3 with alternative WebAssembly runtimes that are actively maintained and have no known vulnerabilities. 4) Monitor for unusual application behavior or crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5) If feasible, apply custom patches or mitigations by reviewing the vulnerable functions in m3_exec.h to harden memory handling, though this requires in-house expertise. 6) Maintain up-to-date inventories of software components to identify all wasm3 instances and prioritize risk assessments. 7) Educate local users about the risks of executing untrusted code locally to reduce the chance of exploitation.