CVE-2025-15270
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 · uneditedFontForge SFD File Parsing Improper Validation of Array Index Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of FontForge. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of SFD files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated array. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-28563.
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 confidenceFontForge contains an improper array index validation vulnerability in its SFD (Spline Font Database) file parser. When parsing malicious SFD files, the lack of bounds checking on user-supplied array indices allows write operations past the end of allocated buffers, leading to memory corruption that can be weaponized for remote code execution.
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= 2025-11-17CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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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Check if FontForge is installedRun 'which fontforge' on Linux/macOS or check for FontForge installation in common paths like /usr/bin/fontforge, /usr/local/bin/fontforge on Unix systems. On Windows, check Program Files folders.Affected if FontForge is not installed on the system - the vulnerability does not apply
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Determine installed FontForge versionRun 'fontforge --version' or 'fontforge -version' from command line. Note the exact version number returned.Affected if The version cannot be determined or is different from 2025-11-17
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Compare version to affected releaseThe affected version is exactly 2025-11-17 (as indicated by '=' in the version range). Compare your installed version against this specific date-based release.Affected if Your installed version is exactly 2025-11-17 - this is the vulnerable release
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Identify SFD file processing contextThe vulnerability is in the SFD (Spline Font Database) file parser. Determine if you or your applications use FontForge to open, import, or process SFD files from any source.Affected if You process SFD files with FontForge version 2025-11-17 - the malicious file parsing vulnerability is triggered upon opening a crafted SFD file
You are affected if FontForge version 2025-11-17 is installed AND you open, import, or process SFD files with it, as the vulnerability is triggered when parsing a maliciously crafted SFD file.
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.
From vendor dataAvoid opening untrusted SFD files in FontForge until a vendor patch is available; consider disabling file association handling for SFD files in untrusted contexts.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-15270 — 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-2025-15270 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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