CVE-2025-31176
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in gnuplot's plot3d_points() function can cause segmentation faults leading to application crashes. This affects users who process untrusted data files with gnuplot, particularly in automated systems. The vulnerability requires user interaction to trigger via malicious input files.
💻 Affected Systems
- gnuplot
📦 What is this software?
Gnuplot by Gnuplot
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Denial of service through gnuplot crash, potentially disrupting automated plotting workflows or services that rely on gnuplot for data visualization.
Likely Case
Application crash when processing specially crafted data files, requiring manual restart of gnuplot processes.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper input validation and sandboxing of gnuplot processes.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file. No authentication bypass or remote code execution is indicated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor advisory for specific patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-31176
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current gnuplot version
2. Update gnuplot to patched version via package manager
3. Restart any running gnuplot processes
4. Verify fix with test commands
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sandboxing
allValidate all input files before processing with gnuplot and run gnuplot in restricted environments
Process isolation
linuxRun gnuplot in containers or virtual machines to limit crash impact
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data gnuplot-container
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict gnuplot usage to trusted users only
- Implement strict file validation before gnuplot processing
- Monitor for gnuplot crash events in system logs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check gnuplot version and compare against patched version in vendor advisoryCheck Version:
gnuplot --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Test with known safe data files and monitor for segmentation faults📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Segmentation fault messages in system logs
- Gnuplot process crashes
- Core dumps from gnuplot
Network Indicators:
- None - local file processing vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="system" "segmentation fault" AND process="gnuplot"