Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
HDF5 1.8.20 contains a heap buffer overflow while decoding group entries. An application that opens a malicious HDF5 file could crash or, depending on build protections and calling context, face memory-corruption risk. The provided sources do not include a CVSS score, vendor fix version, or evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a priority for environments that ingest external scientific or analytics files. The main business risk is compromise or disruption through file-processing workflows, but the provided evidence does not show active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2018-13872 is a heap-based buffer overflow in H5G_ent_decode in H5Gent.c in HDF HDF5 1.8.20. Exposure is tied to software that links this library and parses HDF5 content. The only cited external reference is a public proof-of-concept repository; no KEV listing is provided.
Likely exposure
Most likely exposure is scientific, analytics, engineering, ML, or storage software that processes HDF5 files using HDF5 1.8.20. Internet exposure is indirect unless a service accepts and parses uploaded HDF5 files.
Exploitation context
The source bundle references a public PoC repository, so researchers should assume crafted-file testing material exists. The bundle does not support claims of active exploitation, ransomware use, or a known exploitation campaign.
Researcher notes
Affected metadata in the CVE bundle is sparse, listing n/a fields despite the description naming HDF5 1.8.20. No CWE, CVSS vector, patch version, or vendor advisory text is included. Avoid broad product claims without local dependency evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory applications and containers that bundle or link HDF5 1.8.20.
- Check HDF Group or package-maintainer guidance for fixed versions.
- Prioritize upgrades where HDF5 files come from users or external partners.
- Sandbox or isolate HDF5 parsing workflows until upgraded.
- Restrict upload and ingestion paths for untrusted HDF5 content.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the HDF5 runtime version used by each application, not only package manifests.
- Review file-ingestion paths that accept HDF5 or derived scientific data formats.
- Check crash logs for HDF5 parser faults around externally supplied files.
- Verify compensating controls around upload scanning, sandboxing, and worker isolation.
- Track remediation evidence against each system that processes HDF5 files.
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
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2018-13872 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
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/TeamSeri0us/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.