CVE-2025-5914 is a vulnerability identified in the libarchive library, specifically within the archive_read_format_rar_seek_data() function. The root cause is an integer overflow that leads to a double-free condition, a type of memory management error where the same memory is freed twice. This double-free can corrupt the heap, potentially allowing an attacker to manipulate program execution flow. Exploitation could enable arbitrary code execution or cause a denial-of-service (DoS) by crashing the affected application. The vulnerability affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, which includes libarchive as a component for handling various archive formats, including RAR. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 reflects a high severity, with attack vector classified as local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, but the nature of the flaw makes it a significant risk, especially in environments where users process untrusted RAR archives. The vulnerability was published on June 9, 2025, and no official patches or exploit mitigations have been linked yet.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk particularly in environments where Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 is deployed and libarchive is used to process RAR archives. Exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing attackers to escalate privileges, execute malicious payloads, or disrupt services via denial-of-service. This is especially critical for sectors handling sensitive data or critical infrastructure, such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in multi-user systems, shared hosting, or environments where users might be tricked into opening malicious archives. The potential for memory corruption could also be leveraged in chained attacks to bypass security controls. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but organizations must act swiftly to prevent exploitation once patches become available.

1. Monitor Red Hat and libarchive vendor advisories closely and apply patches immediately upon release to address CVE-2025-5914. 2. Until patches are available, restrict or disable processing of untrusted RAR archives, especially from unknown or unverified sources. 3. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 4. Use memory protection technologies such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP), and stack canaries to mitigate exploitation risks. 5. Educate users about the risks of opening untrusted archive files and implement policies to reduce user interaction with potentially malicious content. 6. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans focusing on libarchive usage and related components. 7. Consider deploying intrusion detection systems (IDS) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions that can identify anomalous behavior related to memory corruption or exploitation attempts.