Description
A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the MFER parsing functionality of The Biosig Project libbiosig 3.9.0 and Master Branch (35a819fa). A specially crafted MFER file can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.This vulnerability manifests on line 9141 of biosig.c on the current master branch (35a819fa), when the Tag is 67: else if (tag==67) //0x43: Sample skew { int skew=0; // [1] curPos += ifread(&skew, 1, len,hdr); In this case, the address of the newly-defined integer `skew` \[1\] is overflowed instead of `buf`. This means a stack overflow can occur using much smaller values of `len` in this code path.
EPSS Score:
0%
Comprehensive Technical Analysis of EUVD-2025-25671
1. Vulnerability Assessment and Severity Evaluation
The vulnerability described in EUVD-2025-25671 is a stack-based buffer overflow in the MFER parsing functionality of The Biosig Project's libbiosig library, versions 3.9.0 and the Master Branch (35a819fa). This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code by providing a specially crafted MFER file. The severity of this vulnerability is rated with a CVSS Base Score of 9.8, which is considered critical. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H indicates that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely with low complexity, requires no privileges or user interaction, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
2. Potential Attack Vectors and Exploitation Methods
The primary attack vector involves an attacker crafting a malicious MFER file designed to trigger the buffer overflow when parsed by the vulnerable libbiosig library. This can be achieved by manipulating the len parameter and the tag value to exploit the stack overflow condition. The attacker can then inject malicious code into the stack, leading to arbitrary code execution.
Potential exploitation methods include:
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): By exploiting the buffer overflow, an attacker can execute arbitrary code on the target system.
- Denial of Service (DoS): The vulnerability can also be used to crash the application, leading to a denial of service.
3. Affected Systems and Software Versions
The vulnerability affects:
- libbiosig version 3.9.0
- libbiosig Master Branch (commit 35a819fa)
Any system or application that uses these versions of the libbiosig library to parse MFER files is at risk. This includes but is not limited to:
- Medical and biomedical research applications
- Data analysis tools that rely on libbiosig for signal processing
4. Recommended Mitigation Strategies
To mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, the following strategies are recommended:
- Update to a Patched Version: Ensure that all systems using libbiosig are updated to a version that includes a fix for this vulnerability.
- Input Validation: Implement robust input validation to sanitize and verify the integrity of MFER files before processing.
- Memory Protection: Use memory protection techniques such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization (ASLR), and non-executable stack to mitigate the impact of buffer overflow attacks.
- Network Segmentation: Segregate critical systems and limit network access to reduce the attack surface.
- Monitoring and Logging: Implement comprehensive monitoring and logging to detect and respond to suspicious activities.
5. Impact on European Cybersecurity Landscape
The vulnerability in libbiosig poses a significant risk to the European cybersecurity landscape, particularly in sectors that rely on biomedical signal processing, such as healthcare and research institutions. The potential for remote code execution and denial of service attacks can lead to data breaches, service disruptions, and compromised research integrity. Organizations must prioritize patching and implementing robust security measures to protect against such threats.
6. Technical Details for Security Professionals
The vulnerability is located in the biosig.c file at line 9141, where the skew variable is defined and used in a way that can lead to a stack overflow:
else if (tag==67) //0x43: Sample skew
{
int skew=0; // [1]
curPos += ifread(&skew, 1, len,hdr);
}
The issue arises because the skew variable is not properly bounded, allowing an attacker to overflow the stack with a smaller len value. Security professionals should:
- Review Code: Conduct a thorough code review to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the codebase.
- Patch Management: Ensure that patches are applied promptly and that systems are regularly updated.
- Security Testing: Perform regular security testing, including fuzzing and penetration testing, to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities.
- Incident Response: Develop and maintain an incident response plan to quickly address and mitigate any security incidents.
By addressing these points, organizations can significantly reduce the risk posed by this vulnerability and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.