CVE-2025-5278 is a vulnerability identified in the GNU Coreutils package, specifically within the sort utility's begfield() function. The issue is a heap buffer under-read, which occurs when the program accesses memory outside the bounds of an allocated buffer. This happens when a user executes a crafted sort command using the traditional key format, which manipulates the internal parsing logic of begfield(). The flaw does not require elevated privileges but does require local access and user interaction to trigger. The vulnerability can cause the sort utility to crash or potentially leak sensitive information from adjacent memory regions. The affected product is Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, version 7.2, which bundles GNU Coreutils. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.4, indicating a medium severity with a vector of AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L, meaning local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, unchanged scope, limited confidentiality impact, no integrity impact, and limited availability impact. No public exploits have been reported yet, and no patches are linked in the provided data, though Red Hat is the vendor responsible for addressing this issue.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 version 7.2, especially those that utilize the sort utility in automated scripts or user-driven processes involving traditional key format sorting. The potential impact includes system instability due to crashes and the risk of sensitive data leakage from memory, which could expose confidential information. While the attack requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or compromised user accounts could exploit this flaw. The limited scope and absence of remote exploitation reduce the overall risk, but critical infrastructure or data centers relying on affected systems could experience disruptions or data exposure. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure in Europe should be particularly vigilant due to the sensitivity of their data and regulatory requirements around data protection.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Monitor Red Hat advisories closely and apply patches promptly once available, as no patch links are currently provided. 2) Restrict local user access to systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 version 7.2, especially limiting the ability to execute crafted sort commands. 3) Audit and review scripts and applications that utilize the sort utility with traditional key formats to detect and prevent malicious input. 4) Employ application whitelisting and input validation to reduce the risk of crafted commands reaching the vulnerable function. 5) Use system-level protections such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and stack canaries to mitigate exploitation impact. 6) Implement robust user activity monitoring to detect unusual command executions that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7) Educate users about the risks of executing untrusted commands locally to reduce inadvertent triggering of the vulnerability.