Description
A heap-based buffer overflow in H5VM_array_fill() in src/H5VM.c in HDF5 before 2.2.0 lets a remote attacker cause an application crash and possibly execute arbitrary code with a crafted HDF5 file. When a dataset's unallocated chunks are read, H5D__fill_init() fills the fill-value buffer from datatype and dataspace metadata in the file. If that metadata is inconsistent with the buffer's allocated size, the write goes past the end of the buffer. The attacker can control the content written through the fill value stored in the file.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The HDF Group | HDF5 | 1.10.0 – < 2.2.0 | 2.2.0 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 13 | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | hdf5 +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | hdf5 +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | hdf5 +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | hdf5 +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | r-bioc-rhdf5lib | No fix yet | — |
Show 4 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Hardened Images 1 | hdf5 +9 | 2.2.0-0.1.2.hum1 | RHSA-2026:73539 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | hdf5 | 1.14.6-6 | — |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2026:73539 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Oct 20, 2026