CVE-2024-32613
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-32613 is a heap-based buffer over-read vulnerability in the HDF5 library's H5HL__fl_deserialize function. This allows attackers to read memory beyond allocated buffers, potentially exposing sensitive information or causing crashes. Any application using HDF5 library versions through 1.14.3 is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- HDF5 Library
📦 What is this software?
Hdf5 by Hdfgroup
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Information disclosure of sensitive memory contents, potential remote code execution through memory corruption, or denial of service through application crashes.
Likely Case
Application crashes leading to denial of service, or limited information disclosure from adjacent memory regions.
If Mitigated
Application crashes with no data loss if proper input validation and memory protections are in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting malicious HDF5 files that trigger the buffer over-read. No authentication is needed if the application processes untrusted files.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.14.4 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.hdfgroup.org/2024/05/new-hdf5-cve-issues-fixed-in-1-14-4/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download HDF5 1.14.4 or later from https://www.hdfgroup.org/downloads/hdf5/. 2. Compile and install the new version. 3. Recompile any applications using HDF5 against the patched library. 4. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation
allImplement strict validation of HDF5 files before processing
Memory Protection
linuxEnable ASLR and other memory protection mechanisms
echo 2 > /proc/sys/kernel/randomize_va_space
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict processing of HDF5 files to trusted sources only
- Implement application-level sandboxing for HDF5 file processing
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check HDF5 library version: h5dump --version or ldd on application binaries to check linked HDF5 versionCheck Version:
h5dump --version | grep 'HDF5'Verify Fix Applied:
Verify HDF5 version is 1.14.4 or later and applications are linked against patched library📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with segmentation faults
- Memory access violation errors in logs
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected HDF5 file transfers to sensitive systems
SIEM Query:
process_name: "h5*" AND event_type: "crash" OR "segmentation fault"