CVE-2018-16438 : Security Advisory and Response

A problem was found within version 1.8.20 of the HDF HDF5 library involving an out-of-bounds reading vulnerability at H5L_extern_query in the H5Lexternal.c file.

Understanding CVE-2018-16438

This CVE entry describes a specific vulnerability in the HDF HDF5 library version 1.8.20.

What is CVE-2018-16438?

The issue involves an out-of-bounds read vulnerability at H5L_extern_query in the H5Lexternal.c file of the HDF HDF5 library version 1.8.20.

The Impact of CVE-2018-16438

This vulnerability could potentially be exploited by attackers to read sensitive information or cause a denial of service by crashing the application.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-16438

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE-2018-16438 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in the HDF HDF5 library version 1.8.20 allows for an out-of-bounds read at H5L_extern_query in the H5Lexternal.c file.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Version: 1.8.20 of the HDF HDF5 library

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by triggering the out-of-bounds read at H5L_extern_query in the H5Lexternal.c file.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-16438 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor patches or updates to the HDF HDF5 library to address the vulnerability.
Monitor security advisories for any new information or patches related to this issue.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement proper input validation and boundary checks in software development to mitigate similar issues.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the HDF HDF5 library is regularly updated with the latest patches and security fixes to prevent exploitation of CVE-2018-16438.