CVE-2025-15535 is a security vulnerability identified in the nicbarker clay library, specifically affecting versions 0.1 through 0.14. The issue resides in the function Clay__MeasureTextCached within the clay.h library file, where improper handling of data leads to a null pointer dereference. This flaw can cause the application using the library to crash or behave unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service condition. The vulnerability requires an attacker to have local access with low privileges, meaning remote exploitation is not feasible. No user interaction is necessary once local access is obtained. The vulnerability was responsibly disclosed to the project maintainers, but no response or patch has been issued yet. The CVSS v4.0 score of 4.8 reflects a medium severity level, indicating that while the vulnerability can disrupt service, it does not compromise confidentiality, integrity, or allow privilege escalation. The exploit code has been publicly released, increasing the risk of exploitation by local attackers. Since the flaw is in a library commonly used in local applications or development environments, the impact is primarily on availability and stability of affected systems. No known exploits in the wild have been reported so far, but the public availability of the exploit code raises the likelihood of future attacks.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-15535 is potential denial of service due to application crashes when the vulnerable function is triggered. This can disrupt local services or development environments relying on the nicbarker clay library. Although the vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation or privilege escalation, insider threats or compromised local accounts could exploit it to cause service interruptions. Organizations with critical local applications using this library may experience reduced availability and operational disruptions. The lack of a patch increases exposure time, and public exploit availability heightens risk. The impact on confidentiality and integrity is negligible, but availability degradation could affect business continuity, especially in environments where the library is embedded in essential tooling or internal software. The threat is more relevant to organizations with active local user access and development activities involving this library.

1. Restrict local access to systems running applications that use the nicbarker clay library to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 2. Implement strict user privilege management to ensure that only necessary users have local access and low privilege accounts are monitored for suspicious activity. 3. Monitor application logs and system stability for signs of crashes or abnormal behavior linked to the Clay__MeasureTextCached function. 4. Employ application whitelisting and integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes or exploit attempts. 5. Isolate development and testing environments using this library from production systems to limit impact. 6. Engage with the nicbarker project maintainers or community to track patch releases and apply updates promptly once available. 7. Consider temporary workarounds such as disabling or replacing the vulnerable function if feasible within the application context. 8. Educate local users about the risks of executing untrusted code or commands that could trigger the vulnerability.