CVE-2025-12829
📋 TL;DR
An uninitialized stack read vulnerability in Amazon Ion-C library versions before v1.1.4 allows attackers to craft malicious Ion text data that, when serialized, can expose sensitive memory contents through UTF-8 escape sequences. This affects any application using vulnerable versions of the Amazon Ion-C library for data serialization. The vulnerability requires an attacker to supply specially crafted data to be processed by the vulnerable library.
💻 Affected Systems
- Amazon Ion-C library
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sensitive memory contents including passwords, encryption keys, or other application secrets could be exfiltrated through the serialized output.
Likely Case
Limited memory disclosure of adjacent stack data, potentially exposing some application state or partial secrets.
If Mitigated
No data exposure if proper input validation and library patching are implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting specific Ion text data that triggers the uninitialized read during serialization. No authentication is needed if the application processes untrusted input.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: v1.1.4
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/amazon-ion/ion-c/security/advisories/GHSA-7mgf-6x73-5h7r
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Identify applications using Amazon Ion-C library. 2. Update Ion-C dependency to version v1.1.4 or later. 3. Rebuild and redeploy affected applications. 4. Restart services using the updated library.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allImplement strict input validation to reject or sanitize untrusted Ion text data before processing
Use binary Ion format
allConfigure applications to use binary Ion format instead of text format where possible, as binary format is not vulnerable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate systems using vulnerable Ion-C versions
- Deploy application firewalls to filter and inspect Ion text data inputs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check application dependencies for Amazon Ion-C library version. If version is <1.1.4 and application processes Ion text data, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check build configuration files (CMakeLists.txt, Makefile, package.json, etc.) for Ion-C version, or use library's version API if available.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify that Ion-C library version is >=1.1.4 in application dependencies and that the updated library is being used at runtime.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual memory access patterns in application logs
- Errors during Ion text serialization
- Unexpected UTF-8 escape sequences in output
Network Indicators:
- Unusually large or malformed Ion text data being sent to applications
- Patterns of data exfiltration through serialized outputs
SIEM Query:
Search for: 'ion_reader_read' OR 'ion_writer_write' errors in application logs combined with memory-related warnings