CVE-2024-32618

What it actually does

Heap-based buffer overflow in H5T__get_native_type allows corruption of the instruction pointer during native type handling.

Why it matters to the business

Systems relying on HDF5 for data processing face risk of arbitrary code execution, which can lead to data corruption, unauthorized access, or full system compromise in scientific and analytics workloads.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker supplies a specially crafted HDF5 file that triggers the overflow in H5T__get_native_type when the library resolves native type information, resulting in instruction pointer corruption and potential code execution.

How to fix it

Upgrade hdfgroup/hdf5 to the fixed commit 88429b015e29c59de604b0f552001fb7cb7ed5d0 or a later release that resolves the buffer overflow in H5Tnative.c.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the installed HDF5 library reports a version containing commit 88429b015e29c59de604b0f552001fb7cb7ed5d0; recompile and test with crafted type-definition inputs that previously triggered the overflow.

Typical attack path

1. Prepare a malicious HDF5 file designed to overflow the buffer during type resolution
2. Cause the vulnerable application or library to process the file and invoke H5T__get_native_type
3. Trigger heap corruption that overwrites the instruction pointer
4. Redirect execution to attacker-controlled code

How to detect it

Monitor process crashes or segmentation faults when applications handle HDF5 files; inspect library call stacks for references to H5T__get_native_type and review file-processing logs for unexpected type-resolution activity.

What your security team should do

• Immediately update all HDF5 installations to the commit containing the fix
• Inventory applications and containers that depend on HDF5 and schedule upgrades
• Add HDF5 version checks to build and deployment pipelines