Description
HDF5 through 2.2.0 contains a heap buffer over-read vulnerability in H5O__chunk_deserialize() in src/H5Ocache.c. When decoding object header messages, the declared message size is checked against the end of the chunk image before the remainder of the message header (flags, and for version 2 object headers, the optional creation index) has been decoded. Because the message body begins after these fields, a message can start up to four bytes further into the chunk than the size check accounts for. A crafted HDF5 file can declare a message size that passes the check but extends past the end of the chunk image, causing the message’s decode callback, for example H5O__mtime_new_decode() in src/H5Omtime.c, to read beyond the heap allocation. The flaw is reachable during H5Fopen() on a crafted file. An attacker who can get a user or application to open a malicious file can cause a denial of service or limited disclosure of process memory.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The HDF Group | HDF5 | < 2.3.0 | — |
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 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | hdf5 | 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 | 2.2.0-0.1.5.hum1 | RHSA-2026:94898 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | hdf5 | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2026:94898 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Nov 13, 2026