CVE-2017-17505 : What You Need to Know

A NULL pointer dereference in the function H5O_pline_decode in the H5Opline.c file within libhdf5.a in HDF5 version 1.10.1 could lead to a crash in h5dump when opening a specially crafted hdf5 file.

Understanding CVE-2017-17505

This CVE describes a vulnerability in HDF5 version 1.10.1 that could result in a NULL pointer dereference, potentially causing a crash in h5dump.

What is CVE-2017-17505?

A NULL pointer dereference occurs in the function H5O_pline_decode in the H5Opline.c file within libhdf5.a in HDF5 version 1.10.1. This vulnerability could be exploited by opening a maliciously crafted hdf5 file, leading to a crash in h5dump.

The Impact of CVE-2017-17505

The impact of this vulnerability is the potential for a denial of service (DoS) condition by crashing the h5dump utility when processing a carefully crafted hdf5 file.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-17505

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

A NULL pointer dereference is present in the function H5O_pline_decode in the H5Opline.c file within libhdf5.a in HDF5 version 1.10.1, leading to a crash in h5dump.

Affected Systems and Versions

Systems running HDF5 version 1.10.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker by providing a specially crafted hdf5 file to the h5dump utility, triggering the NULL pointer dereference and subsequent crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2017-17505, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update HDF5 to a patched version that addresses the NULL pointer dereference.
Avoid opening untrusted hdf5 files with the h5dump utility.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement proper input validation mechanisms to prevent the exploitation of NULL pointer dereference vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches or updates provided by the HDF5 project to fix the vulnerability and prevent potential crashes.