CVE-2026-17574
Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in HDF5 Library

Publication date: 2026-07-27

Last updated on: 2026-07-27

Assigner: 0253b833-3e77-4dfe-9d57-17db1a2f0a74

Description
HDF5 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability. Processing a crafted HDF5 file containing an attribute with an invalid variable-length datatype type field may cause the application to crash when the attribute is read.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-27
Last Modified
2026-07-27
Generated
2026-07-27
AI Q&A
2026-07-27
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-17574
EUVD
EUVD-2026-49320

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
hdf_group hdf5 *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-476 The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
CWE-617 The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.

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Executive Summary

HDF5 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability. Processing a crafted HDF5 file with an attribute that has an invalid variable-length datatype type field may cause the application to crash when the attribute is read.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires inspecting HDF5 files for malformed attribute data. Use HDF5 tools like h5dump or h5ls to parse suspicious files. Check for attributes with invalid variable-length datatype type fields. Example command: h5dump -H filename.h5 to inspect file structure.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause applications processing malicious HDF5 files to crash, leading to denial of service or potential data loss if the application fails to handle the error gracefully.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability primarily causes application crashes due to NULL pointer dereferences when processing malformed HDF5 files. It does not directly impact data confidentiality, integrity, or availability in a way that would violate GDPR or HIPAA requirements. However, if exploited, it could lead to denial-of-service conditions affecting system availability, which may indirectly impact compliance with availability-focused controls in these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update HDF5 to the latest patched version. Avoid opening untrusted HDF5 files until patched. Implement file validation checks before processing. Monitor vendor advisories for patches.

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