#VU68908 Use-after-free in HDF5 - CVE-2021-46242

Vulnerability identifier: #VU68908

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 8.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-46242

CWE-ID: CWE-416

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
HDF5
Universal components / Libraries / Libraries used by multiple products

Vendor: HDF Group

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to compromise vulnerable system.

The vulnerability exists due to a use-after-free error within the H5AC_unpin_entry component. A remote attacker can pass specially crafted input to the application, trigger a use-after-free error and execute arbitrary code on the system.

Successful exploitation of the vulnerability may allow an attacker to compromise vulnerable system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

HDF5: 1.10.0 - 1.10.8, 1.12.0 - 1.12.1, 1.13.0 - 1.13.1-1

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External links
https://github.com/HDFGroup/hdf5/issues/1329

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.