CVE-2025-2912 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the HDF5 library versions 1.14.0 through 1.14.6. The flaw exists in the function H5O_msg_flush within the source file src/H5Omessage.c. Specifically, improper handling or manipulation of the argument 'oh' leads to a heap overflow condition. This vulnerability requires local access with low privileges (PR:L) and does not require user interaction (UI:N). The attack vector is local, meaning an attacker must have some level of access to the target system to exploit this flaw. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability directly (VC:N/VI:N/VA:L), but the heap overflow could potentially be leveraged for further exploitation such as privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution depending on the context of use. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 4.8, categorizing it as a medium severity issue. No public exploits are currently known to be in the wild, but the exploit details have been disclosed publicly, increasing the risk of exploitation attempts. HDF5 is a widely used data model, library, and file format for storing and managing large amounts of data, commonly used in scientific computing, engineering, and research environments. The vulnerability could affect any application or system that uses the vulnerable HDF5 versions, especially those processing untrusted or user-supplied data locally.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-2912 depends largely on their reliance on HDF5 for data storage and processing. Research institutions, universities, scientific laboratories, and industries such as aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and energy that use HDF5 for large-scale data management could be at risk. Since exploitation requires local access, the primary risk is from insider threats or attackers who have already compromised a low-privilege account on affected systems. Successful exploitation could lead to heap corruption, potentially enabling privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution, which could compromise system integrity and availability. This could disrupt critical research data processing or industrial control systems. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality, the resulting system compromise could lead to data theft or manipulation. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is not trivial, it is not immediately critical, but it should be addressed promptly to prevent escalation.

European organizations should prioritize patching or upgrading HDF5 to versions beyond 1.14.6 where this vulnerability is resolved. If immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and restrict access to systems running vulnerable HDF5 versions. Employ application whitelisting and behavior monitoring to detect anomalous activity related to HDF5 processes. Conduct thorough audits of systems to identify installations of vulnerable HDF5 versions, especially on critical infrastructure and research systems. Additionally, segregate systems processing untrusted data and enforce strict user authentication and authorization policies to minimize the risk of local exploitation. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of local exploitation and monitor logs for suspicious activity indicative of heap overflow exploitation attempts. Finally, consider deploying runtime protections such as heap overflow detection mechanisms or memory protection features available in modern operating systems.