CVE-2025-31177 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the function utf8_copy_one within the gnuplot software. Gnuplot is a widely used command-line driven graphing utility that generates plots and graphs from data sets. The vulnerability arises when utf8_copy_one improperly handles memory allocation or copying operations on UTF-8 encoded data, leading to a heap buffer overflow condition. This type of overflow occurs when more data is written to a heap-allocated buffer than it can hold, potentially corrupting adjacent memory. According to the CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), the vulnerability requires local access (AV:L) but no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N) to exploit. The impact is limited to availability (A:H), meaning the primary consequence is denial of service or application crash rather than confidentiality or integrity compromise. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor advisories are linked yet. The affected versions are not explicitly detailed beyond "0", suggesting either an early or placeholder version or incomplete data. The vulnerability was published on May 7, 2025, with a medium severity rating and a CVSS score of 6.2. Given the nature of gnuplot as a tool often used in scientific, engineering, and data analysis environments, exploitation could disrupt automated plotting workflows or data visualization tasks, potentially impacting dependent processes or systems.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31177 is disruption of availability in environments where gnuplot is used locally. This includes research institutions, universities, engineering firms, and data analytics companies that rely on gnuplot for generating graphical representations of data. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the risk is higher in environments where multiple users share systems or where untrusted users have local access. The denial of service could interrupt critical data processing pipelines or reporting functions, causing operational delays. However, because the vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity, the risk of data breach or manipulation is low. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate risk, especially if attackers gain local access through other means. European organizations with strict uptime requirements or automated workflows involving gnuplot should consider this vulnerability seriously to avoid unexpected service interruptions.

1. Restrict local access to systems running gnuplot to trusted users only, minimizing the attack surface for local exploitation. 2. Monitor and audit user activity on systems where gnuplot is installed to detect unauthorized access attempts. 3. Until patches are available, consider running gnuplot within sandboxed or containerized environments to limit the impact of potential crashes or memory corruption. 4. Implement system-level protections such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and heap protection mechanisms (e.g., glibc's malloc hardening) to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. 5. Regularly check for and apply vendor updates or patches addressing this vulnerability once released. 6. For critical environments, evaluate alternative plotting tools that do not exhibit this vulnerability or isolate gnuplot usage to non-critical systems. 7. Educate local users about the risks of running untrusted data or scripts through gnuplot to prevent inadvertent triggering of the vulnerability.