CVE-2024-32616
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedHDF5 Library through 1.14.3 contains a heap-based buffer over-read in H5O__dtype_encode_helper in H5Odtype.c.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceHeap-based buffer over-read vulnerability in HDF5 Library's H5O__dtype_encode_helper function in H5Odtype.c allows reading beyond allocated heap memory boundaries during data type encoding operations.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.14.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Detect HDF5 installationCheck for HDF5 library presence on the system. Common methods: run 'h5dump --version' or 'h5cc -showconfig', or search for libhdf5 files with 'find /usr -name "*hdf5*" 2>/dev/null', or check package manager with 'dpkg -l | grep hdf5' or 'rpm -qa | grep hdf5'.Affected if HDF5 library is not found on the system (not affected).
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Identify HDF5 versionRun 'h5dump --version' or check the library file version with 'ldd /path/to/linked/library | grep hdf5' or inspect the shared object directly with 'objdump -p libhdf5.so | grep VERSION'. Compare the obtained version number against the affected range.Affected if Installed version is 1.14.4 or later (not vulnerable).
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Determine if applications process HDF5 filesAudit running processes or applications that handle .hdf or .h5 files. Review application logs for HDF5 operations, or use filesystem monitoring to observe access to HDF5 file types.Affected if No applications process HDF5 files (likelihood of exploitation reduced).
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Check for data type encoding operationsReview application code or documentation to determine if H5O__dtype_encode_helper function is invoked. This function is used during data type encoding when writing HDF5 files. Monitor for write operations on HDF5 files using tools like 'strace' or application tracing.Affected if Application only reads HDF5 files without encoding new data types (lower risk).
User is affected if HDF5 library version is below 1.14.4 AND the environment processes or creates HDF5 files using data type encoding operations.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.14.4
Update HDF5 Library to version 1.14.4 or later when available; avoid processing untrusted HDF5 files until patched.
1.14.4
- Check current HDF5 version using 'h5dump --version' or 'pkg-config --modversion hdf5'
- Download HDF5 1.14.4 or later from the official source: www.hdfgroup.org or GitHub
- If building from source: Run './configure', 'make', and 'make install' with appropriate prefix
- If using a package manager: Update package cache and install (e.g., 'apt-get install libhdf5-dev' or 'conda install hdf5')
- Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 1.14.4
- Rebuild any applications that statically link against HDF5 to ensure they use the updated library
- Test that dependent applications function correctly with the new library version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-32616 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-32616 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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