CVE-2025-31177 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the utf8_copy_one function of gnuplot, a popular open-source plotting utility widely used for data visualization and scientific graphing. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of UTF-8 encoded data during the copying process, which can lead to an overflow of the heap buffer. This flaw can be triggered by supplying specially crafted input to gnuplot, causing the application to crash or behave unpredictably. The vulnerability requires local access to the system (Attack Vector: Local) and does not require any privileges or user interaction to exploit. The impact is limited to availability, as the overflow can cause denial of service by crashing the application, but it does not compromise confidentiality or integrity of data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.2, reflecting a medium severity level. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches or fixes have been linked at the time of publication. The vulnerability was reserved in March 2025 and published in May 2025, with Red Hat as the assigner. Given gnuplot's usage in scientific and engineering environments, this vulnerability could disrupt workflows that depend on reliable graphing and plotting capabilities.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31177 is a potential denial of service affecting systems running gnuplot locally. This could disrupt scientific research, engineering analysis, and data visualization tasks, especially in academia, research institutions, and industries such as automotive, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals that rely heavily on data plotting tools. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the risk is higher in environments where multiple users have local system access or where untrusted users can execute code. There is no direct risk to data confidentiality or integrity, but availability loss could delay critical operations and reduce productivity. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but organizations should remain vigilant. The medium severity rating indicates moderate urgency for mitigation, particularly in environments where gnuplot is integral to daily operations.

1. Restrict local access to systems running gnuplot to trusted and authorized personnel only to reduce the risk of exploitation. 2. Monitor official gnuplot repositories and security advisories for patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-31177 and apply them promptly once available. 3. Implement application whitelisting and execution controls to prevent unauthorized or untrusted code execution on systems using gnuplot. 4. Use containerization or sandboxing techniques to isolate gnuplot processes, limiting the impact of potential crashes. 5. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans to identify and remediate outdated or vulnerable software versions. 6. Educate users about the risks of running untrusted input through gnuplot and enforce strict input validation policies where possible. 7. Maintain robust backup and recovery procedures to minimize operational disruption in case of denial of service incidents.