Description
HDF5 through 2.2.0 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in H5HL_unprotect() in src/H5HL.c. H5HL_protect() pins a single metadata cache entry for a local heap, either the heap prefix or the separate data block, and H5HL_unprotect() unpins it on the final unprotect. When the metadata cache destroys a corrupted local heap entry, H5HL__prfx_dest() unlinks it from the heap by setting heap->prfx or heap->dblk to NULL. A crafted HDF5 file can therefore reach H5HL_unprotect() with no cached object to unpin, and the function passes the NULL pointer to H5AC_unpin_entry(). This causes an assertion failure in debug builds and a NULL pointer dereference and crash in release builds. An attacker who can get a user or application to open and traverse a malicious file can cause a denial of service.
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