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CVE.org (no NVD analysis yet)· CNA HDFG

CVE-2026-120757: Heap Buffer Over-read via Non-Terminated Link Data in H5L__extern_traverse

MediumCVSS 6.9 · v4.0—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 27/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.15% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: azl3 hdf5 1.14.6-6 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to azl3 hdf5 1.14.6-6 on Azure Linux 3.0 Release Notes or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

HDF5 through 2.2.0 contains a heap buffer over-read vulnerability in H5L__extern_traverse() in src/H5Lexternal.c, the default traversal callback for external links. The callback locates the target file name and object path within the link’s user data using strlen() without validating the buffer against its stored size (udata_size, which was marked unused). A crafted HDF5 file containing an external link whose data is not NULL-terminated, or is too short to hold both strings, causes strlen() to read past the end of the udata heap buffer, and the derived object path pointer may also point outside the buffer. The overrun is unbounded and continues until a zero byte is found. The flaw is triggered when the malicious link is traversed, for example when opening an object through it. An attacker who can get a user or application to access a crafted file can cause a denial of service, and adjacent heap contents may be incorporated into the external file name or object path the library attempts to open.

Published
Nov 3, 2026
Updated
Nov 3, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 4th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

27

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
27 / 40 · 6.9 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · HDFG
6.9
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

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

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

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-120757

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
hdfgrouphdf5

Versions reported by the vendor

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

  • The HDF Group HDF5

    • < 2.3.0affected

Affected versions

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

  • hdfgroup hdf5up to 2.2.0 inclusive

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12hdf5from 0—

Same product

hdfgroup: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2018-13876An issue was discovered in the HDF HDF5 1.8.20 library.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2018-13874An issue was discovered in the HDF HDF5 1.8.20 library.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2018-13873An issue was discovered in the HDF HDF5 1.8.20 library.
    40Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-120755Nov 3, 2026 · Integer Underflow Leads to Out-of-Bounds Read via Truncated Chunk in HDF5 Szip Filter
    18Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-120756Nov 3, 2026 · Heap Buffer Over-read via Malformed Message Size in HDF5's H5O__chunk_deserialize
    7Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-120758Nov 3, 2026 · NULL Pointer Dereference in H5HL_unprotect via Corrupted File
    21Monitor

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
azl3 hdf5 1.14.6-6 on Azure Linux 3.0Release NotesMicrosoft (MSRC)

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.

  1. Published
  2. Fix recorded+8 d
  3. TodayNov 13, 2026+10 d
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.

Variant candidates

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

  • CVE-2026-26197106 days apartArray full size, element count, and element size are not checked to make sure they match in H5Odtype.c
    23Monitor
  • CVE-2026-1757299 days apartHDF5 SOHM List Index Heap Buffer Overflow
    22Monitor
  • CVE-2026-1207550 days apartInteger Underflow Leads to Out-of-Bounds Read via Truncated Chunk in HDF5 Szip Filter
    18Monitor
  • CVE-2026-1207560 days apartHeap Buffer Over-read via Malformed Message Size in HDF5's H5O__chunk_deserialize
    7Monitor

Not on record for this CVE: researcher credit · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds Read

CVSS vector

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:N/VA:H/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

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓
  2. SSVC exploitation— → none
  3. Exploit maturity— → none

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