CVE-2026-111125

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Heap-based Out-of-Bounds Read in CFITSIO

Publication date: 2026-10-15

Last updated on: 2026-10-15

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

CFITSIO through 4.7.0 contains a heap-based out-of-bounds read vulnerability in the HCOMPRESS tile decoder that allows attackers to read past the compressed tile buffer via input_nnybble in fits_hdecompress.c. Attackers can supply a crafted FITS file with ZCMPTYPE HCOMPRESS_1 declaring oversized tile geometry to crash applications calling fits_read_pix or disclose limited heap memory.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-15

Last Modified

2026-10-15

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-16

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-111125

EUVD

EUVD-2026-102356

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
HEASARC	cfitsio	0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-125	The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-111125 is a heap-based out-of-bounds read vulnerability in CFITSIO through version 4.7.0. It occurs in the HCOMPRESS tile decoder within the fits_hdecompress.c file. Attackers can exploit this by providing a crafted FITS file with oversized tile geometry and ZCMPTYPE set to HCOMPRESS_1. This causes the application to read past the compressed tile buffer when functions like fits_read_pix are called, potentially leading to crashes or limited disclosure of heap memory.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking the CFITSIO library version and analyzing FITS files for malformed HCOMPRESS_1 tiles. Inspect installed CFITSIO versions with 'dpkg -l libcfitsio*' or 'rpm -qa | grep cfitsio'. Monitor applications using CFITSIO for crashes when processing FITS files. Use static analysis tools to scan fits_hdecompress.c for buffer overflow patterns.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause applications using CFITSIO to crash when processing malicious FITS files. It may also allow attackers to read limited portions of heap memory, potentially exposing sensitive data. The impact depends on how CFITSIO is used in your environment, but it primarily affects applications that handle FITS image files.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR or HIPAA as it involves a heap-based out-of-bounds read in CFITSIO's HCOMPRESS tile decoder. However, if exploited, it could lead to application crashes or limited memory disclosure, which may indirectly impact data integrity or availability in systems handling sensitive data. No specific compliance violations are mentioned in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately upgrade CFITSIO to the latest patched version. If upgrading is not possible, disable HCOMPRESS_1 decompression in applications or block FITS files from untrusted sources. Implement input validation for FITS files to reject oversized tile geometries. Monitor for crashes in applications using CFITSIO.

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