CVE-2025-15537
📋 TL;DR
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Mapnik's shapefile input plugin, specifically in the dbf_file::string_value function. This allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. Only Mapnik installations up to version 4.2.0 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Mapnik
📦 What is this software?
Mapnik by Mapnik
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation leading to full system compromise via arbitrary code execution.
Likely Case
Application crash (denial of service) or limited information disclosure from heap memory.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if proper access controls prevent local attackers from accessing Mapnik processes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires local access and ability to supply malicious shapefiles to Mapnik. Public proof-of-concept exists in GitHub repository.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/4543
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
No official patch available. Monitor Mapnik repository for updates. Consider workarounds or alternative solutions.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict shapefile processing
allLimit Mapnik's ability to process untrusted shapefiles by implementing input validation and access controls.
Application sandboxing
linuxRun Mapnik processes in containers or with reduced privileges to limit impact of potential exploitation.
docker run --security-opt=no-new-privileges -u nobody mapnik-container
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent local users from supplying shapefiles to Mapnik processes
- Monitor for abnormal Mapnik process behavior or crashes indicating exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Mapnik version: mapnik-config --version. If version is 4.2.0 or earlier, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
mapnik-config --versionVerify Fix Applied:
No fix available to verify. Monitor Mapnik repository for security updates.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Mapnik process crashes
- Abnormal memory usage patterns in Mapnik processes
- Unexpected shapefile processing errors
Network Indicators:
- None - local-only vulnerability
SIEM Query:
process_name:"mapnik" AND (event_type:"crash" OR memory_usage > threshold)