CVE-2025-54488 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in The Biosig Project's libbiosig library, specifically in versions 3.9.0 and the current master branch (commit 35a819fa). The vulnerability arises in the MFER (Medical Format for Electroencephalographic Recordings) parsing functionality when processing tag 13. The vulnerable code segment fails to properly validate the length of data read into a fixed-size buffer, leading to a buffer overflow condition on the stack. This overflow can be triggered by a specially crafted MFER file, which an attacker can supply remotely without any authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the application using libbiosig, potentially compromising system confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8, reflecting its network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The flaw is located in biosig.c around line 8850, where the code reads data into a buffer without sufficient boundary checks when tag 13 is encountered. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the nature of the vulnerability and the widespread use of libbiosig in biomedical signal processing make it a significant threat. The Biosig Project has not yet released a patch, so users must implement interim mitigations to protect affected systems.

The impact of CVE-2025-54488 on European organizations is potentially severe, especially for entities involved in biomedical research, healthcare, and medical device manufacturing that rely on libbiosig for biosignal data processing. Exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution, enabling attackers to gain control over affected systems, steal sensitive patient data, disrupt medical research, or sabotage critical healthcare infrastructure. This could result in violations of GDPR due to data breaches, operational downtime, and loss of trust. The vulnerability's network accessibility and lack of required privileges increase the risk of widespread exploitation. Given the critical nature of healthcare services in Europe and the increasing digitization of medical data, this vulnerability poses a significant threat to patient safety and organizational continuity. Additionally, research institutions using biosignal analysis tools may face intellectual property theft or manipulation of research data. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high severity score underscores the urgency of mitigation.

1. Monitor The Biosig Project's official channels for patches addressing CVE-2025-54488 and apply updates immediately upon release. 2. Until a patch is available, restrict the acceptance of MFER files to trusted sources only and implement strict input validation to detect and block malformed or suspicious files. 3. Employ sandboxing or containerization techniques for applications using libbiosig to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 4. Conduct thorough code reviews and static analysis on any custom integrations of libbiosig to identify and remediate unsafe usage patterns. 5. Deploy network-level controls to monitor and filter traffic that may carry malicious MFER files, including email gateways and file upload portals. 6. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 7. Educate relevant staff about the risks associated with processing untrusted biosignal files and establish incident response procedures tailored to this threat. 8. Consider temporary disabling or isolating systems that heavily rely on libbiosig if immediate patching is not feasible, especially in critical healthcare environments.