Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-11204 is a denial-of-service issue in HDF5 1.10.2. A specially malformed HDF5 input can trigger a NULL pointer dereference and crash processing. The provided sources do not show data theft, code execution, a fixed version, or active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize if HDF5 files cross trust boundaries or support important production workflows. The business concern is service disruption. If HDF5 use is absent or internal-only, track through normal vulnerability management.
Technical view
The issue is reported in H5O__chunk_deserialize in H5Ocache.c in the HDF5 1.10.2 library. The failure mode is NULL pointer dereference during object header chunk deserialization, producing remote denial of service when an affected parser processes hostile input.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in applications, APIs, batch jobs, or research pipelines that use HDF5 1.10.2 and accept HDF5 files from external or low-trust sources. Internally generated, tightly controlled files reduce practical risk.
Exploitation context
The bundle references public fuzzing proof-of-concept material, but KEV is false and no cited source states active exploitation. Evidence supports crash-based denial of service, not privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.
Researcher notes
Source detail is sparse: no CVSS vector, CWE, affected CPEs, fixed release, or advisory text is included. Treat product scope beyond HDF5 1.10.2 as unproven unless confirmed by local dependency data or vendor guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory systems and dependencies using HDF5 1.10.2.
- Check HDF Group or vendor guidance for a fixed supported release.
- Restrict untrusted HDF5 uploads or ingestion where feasible.
- Run HDF5 parsing in isolated workers with crash supervision.
- Apply file validation and size limits before HDF5 processing.
Validation and detection
- Review SBOMs, package manifests, and deployed library versions for HDF5 1.10.2.
- Identify public or partner-facing workflows that process HDF5 files.
- Check logs and crash reports for HDF5 parser faults.
- Verify parser workers recover cleanly after malformed input crashes.
- Confirm mitigation coverage for all file-ingestion entry points.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CVE-2018-11204 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/Twi1ight/fuzzing-pocs/tree/master/hdf5CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.