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CVE-2025-9136· NVD / CVE Program· CNA VulDB

libretro RetroArch file_stream.c filestream_vscanf out-of-bounds

A flaw has been found in libretro RetroArch 1.18.0/1.19.0/1.20.0. This affects the function filestream_vscanf of the file libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c. This manipulation causes out-of-bounds read. The attack needs to be launched locally. Upgrading to version 1.21.0 mitigates this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

MediumCVSS 4.8 · v4.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.2% · 8th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

19

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
19 / 40 · 4.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.2%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
proof of concept
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · VulDB
4.8
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
libretroretroarch

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • libretro retroarch1.18.0
  • libretro retroarch1.19.0
  • libretro retroarch1.20.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulDB). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • libretro RetroArch

    • 1.21.0not affected
    • 1.18.0, 1.19.0, 1.20.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12retroarchall versions—
Debian:14retroarchbefore 1.20.0+dfsg-31.20.0+dfsg-3

Same product

libretro: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2021-28927The text-to-speech engine in libretro RetroArch for Windows 1.9.0 passes unsanitized input to PowerShell through platform_win32.c via the ac
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2025-0459libretro RetroArch Startup profapi.dll untrusted search path
    19Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
libretro RetroArch1.21.0 · descriptionVendor (CNA)
debian:retroarch1.20.0+dfsg-3 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
X

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

CVSS vector

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records