CVE-2025-31179 is a vulnerability identified in the gnuplot software, specifically within the xstrftime() function. This flaw results in a NULL pointer dereference, which can cause a segmentation fault leading to a system crash. Gnuplot is a widely used command-line driven graphing utility that generates plots and graphs from data sets. The vulnerability arises when the xstrftime() function attempts to access or manipulate memory through a pointer that has not been properly initialized or has been set to NULL. This results in an invalid memory access, causing the program to terminate unexpectedly. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.2 classifies this as a medium severity issue, with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N/I:N), but high impact on availability (A:H). This means an attacker with local access to the system can trigger the crash without any authentication or user interaction, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date, and no patches or vendor advisories have been linked yet. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity but can disrupt availability by crashing the gnuplot process or potentially the host system if exploited in a critical environment. Since gnuplot is often used in scientific, engineering, and data analysis environments, this vulnerability could impact systems relying on automated plotting or visualization tasks, especially if gnuplot is integrated into larger workflows or services.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-31179 is a potential denial of service due to system crashes when gnuplot processes data using the vulnerable xstrftime() function. Organizations in sectors such as research institutions, engineering firms, financial analytics, and any industry relying on data visualization tools that incorporate gnuplot could experience operational disruptions. While the vulnerability requires local access, insider threats or compromised internal systems could exploit this flaw to disrupt services. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact limits the risk of data breaches or manipulation; however, availability disruptions could affect time-sensitive data processing pipelines or automated reporting systems. In critical infrastructure or manufacturing environments where gnuplot is part of monitoring or control systems, this could lead to temporary outages or delays. The medium severity rating suggests that while the threat is not immediately critical, it should be addressed promptly to avoid potential operational risks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should first inventory their systems to identify installations of gnuplot, especially versions prior to any forthcoming patches. Since no patches are currently linked, organizations should monitor official gnuplot repositories and security advisories for updates addressing CVE-2025-31179. In the interim, restricting local access to trusted users only will reduce the risk of exploitation. Implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual activity on systems running gnuplot can help detect attempts to trigger the vulnerability. Where feasible, isolating gnuplot execution environments or running it within containers or sandboxes can limit the impact of a crash. Additionally, organizations should review and test their data processing workflows to ensure that failure of gnuplot does not cascade into broader system failures. Incorporating automated restarts or failover mechanisms for services relying on gnuplot can improve resilience. Finally, educating users and administrators about the risk and signs of exploitation will enhance early detection and response.