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CVE-2025-66217VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2025-66217: jvde-github AIS-catcher · Heap-based Buffer Overflow

Affects jvde-github AIS-catcherSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High : upgrade to 0.64 soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
8.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 53% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 0.64
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 29 Nov 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

What to do

Upgrade jvde-github/AIS-catcher to 0.64.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
GitHubjvde-github/AIS-catcherpkg:github/jvde-github/AIS-catcherOther threatsAffected
  • <0.64
Fixed in
  • 0.64

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

The primary mitigation is to upgrade AIS-catcher to version 0.64 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should immediately inventory their deployments to identify AIS-catcher instances and verify their versions. For systems where upgrading is not immediately feasible, network-level controls should be implemented to restrict access to MQTT services used by AIS-catcher, limiting exposure to untrusted networks. Deploying MQTT protocol validation and filtering tools can help detect and block malformed packets attempting to exploit the Topic Length field. Additionally, applying runtime protections such as heap memory integrity checks, address space layout randomization (ASLR), and control flow integrity (CFI) can reduce exploitation likelihood. Monitoring logs for unusual MQTT traffic patterns or crashes can provide early detection of attempted exploitation. For organizations embedding AIS-catcher as a library, thorough code review and sandboxing of the library usage are recommended to contain potential compromises. Finally, maintaining an incident response plan tailored to maritime system disruptions will help mitigate operational impacts if exploitation occurs.

Description

AIS-catcher is a multi-platform AIS receiver. Prior to version 0.64, an integer underflow vulnerability exists in the MQTT parsing logic of AIS-catcher. This vulnerability allows an attacker to trigger a massive Heap Buffer Overflow by sending a malformed MQTT packet with a manipulated Topic Length field. This leads to an immediate Denial of Service (DoS) and, when used as a library, severe Memory Corruption that can be leveraged for Remote Code Execution (RCE). This issue has been patched in version 0.64.

References

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