CVE-2025-4003 – A null pointer dereference vulnerability in Ref... (How to Fix)

📋 TL;DR

A null pointer dereference vulnerability in RefindPlus 0.14.2.AB's InternalApfsTranslateBlock function allows local attackers to cause denial of service. This affects systems using RefindPlus boot manager with APFS filesystem support. Attackers must have local access to exploit this vulnerability.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

RefindPlus

Versions: 0.14.2.AB specifically (check for other potentially affected versions)

Operating Systems: Any OS using RefindPlus boot manager

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using APFS filesystem support through RefindPlus. Systems without APFS volumes are not vulnerable.

⚠️ 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.

Recommended Actions:

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

System crash or boot failure during APFS operations, potentially requiring physical intervention to recover.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash or instability when accessing APFS volumes through RefindPlus.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor performance impact or error logging with proper input validation.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to exploit, not remotely accessible.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local attackers with physical or console access could disrupt boot process.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires local access and ability to trigger specific APFS operations through RefindPlus.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in commit 4d35125ca689a255647e9033dd60c257d26df7cb

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/RefindPlusRepo/RefindPlus/issues/206

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update RefindPlus to version containing commit 4d35125ca689a255647e9033dd60c257d26df7cb
2. Rebuild and reinstall RefindPlus
3. Reboot system to apply changes

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable APFS support

all

Remove or disable APFS driver loading in RefindPlus configuration

Edit refind.conf and remove/comment APFS driver entries
Remove RP_ApfsDxe.efi from drivers directory

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict physical access to vulnerable systems
Implement secure boot and firmware protections to prevent unauthorized boot modifications

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check RefindPlus version and verify if using 0.14.2.AB with APFS support enabled

Check Version:

Check RefindPlus version in boot menu or configuration files

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify commit 4d35125ca689a255647e9033dd60c257d26df7cb is present in installed version

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

RefindPlus crash logs
System boot failures after APFS operations
Kernel panics during boot

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability only

SIEM Query:

Search for RefindPlus process crashes or boot failure events in system logs

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2025-4003

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-404

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (4.5th percentile)

Published: April 28, 2025

Last Updated: April 29, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2025-4003, you might also want to check these: