CVE-2018-17438 : Security Advisory and Response

In the HDF HDF5 library version up to 1.10.3, a vulnerability exists that could lead to a remote denial of service attack due to inadequate protection against division by zero.

Understanding CVE-2018-17438

What is CVE-2018-17438?

A SIGFPE signal is raised in the function H5D__select_io() of H5Dselect.c in the HDF HDF5 through 1.10.3 library during an attempted parse of a crafted HDF file, because of incorrect protection against division by zero.

The Impact of CVE-2018-17438

This vulnerability could potentially result in a remote denial of service attack.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-17438

Vulnerability Description

When parsing a specially-crafted HDF file, the function H5D__select_io() in H5Dselect.c may encounter a SIGFPE signal due to inadequate protection against division by zero.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions: Up to HDF HDF5 library version 1.10.3

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious HDF file to trigger the division by zero condition, leading to a denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor patches or updates to the HDF HDF5 library to address the vulnerability.
Avoid opening untrusted HDF files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions.
Implement proper input validation and error handling mechanisms.
Conduct security assessments and code reviews to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the HDF HDF5 library is regularly updated with the latest security patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.