dbcve.org
NuttxApplication · Apache

CVE-2025-47868

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.9.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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 · unedited
Out-of-bounds Write resulting in possible Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability was discovered in tools/bdf-converter font conversion utility that is part of Apache NuttX RTOS repository. This standalone program is optional and neither part of NuttX RTOS nor Applications runtime, but active bdf-converter users may be affected when this tool is exposed to external provided user data data (i.e. publicly available automation). This issue affects Apache NuttX: from 6.9 before 12.9.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 12.9.0, which fixes the issue.

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 · moderate confidence

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the bdf-converter font conversion utility of Apache NuttX RTOS. The out-of-bounds write occurs when processing font data, potentially allowing remote code execution when the tool processes untrusted input.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache NuttX version 12.9.0 or later. Until upgraded, restrict access to the bdf-converter utility and avoid processing externally-provided font data.

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
NuttxApplication
Affected:>= 6.9, < 12.9.0

CVSS 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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Apache NuttX is in use
    Check for NuttX source code directories, build artifacts, or firmware images that reference NuttX. Look for nuttx/ directory in build environments or config files mentioning 'nuttX' or 'CONFIG_ARCH_*' in defconfig files.
    Affected if NuttX source tree, build configuration, or firmware derived from NuttX is present in the environment
  2. Determine the installed or built NuttX version
    Run 'git -C /path/to/nuttX describe --tags' or check VERSION file in the NuttX source root. If working with a built firmware, extract and inspect the version string from the image or check the defconfig file for version identifiers.
    Affected if The version is >= 6.9 and < 12.9.0
  3. Locate the bdf-converter utility
    Search for the bdf-converter binary or source file in the NuttX tree: 'find /path/to/nuttX -name "*bdf*" -o -name "*converter*" | grep -i font'. Check tools/bdf-converter directory if it exists in the source.
    Affected if The bdf-converter tool or its source code is present in the NuttX environment
  4. Check if bdf-converter is built or configured for use
    Examine the NuttX configuration (defconfig or .config file) for font-related build options such as 'CONFIG_FONT' or 'CONFIG_NXTERM'. Check if the tools/bdf-converter directory was compiled into the build output.
    Affected if Font conversion tools are enabled in the NuttX configuration or the bdf-converter binary exists in the build output
  5. Verify font data processing capability
    Inspect whether the system processes external or user-supplied BDF font files. Check if there are paths where untrusted font data could be passed to bdf-converter or the font subsystem.
    Affected if The bdf-converter can process external font data or fonts from untrusted sources

The environment is affected if Apache NuttX version 6.9 through 12.8.x is in use and the bdf-converter font processing utility is present and capable of handling external font data.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 12.9.0 or later
Fixed in 12.9.0
Vendor patch github.com →
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache NuttX version 12.9.0 or later. Until upgraded, restrict access to the bdf-converter utility and avoid processing externally-provided font data.

Recommended fix High confidence

12.9.0

  1. 1. Verify current NuttX version by checking the version file or git tag in the local repository
  2. 2. Download Apache NuttX version 12.9.0 from the official Apache NuttX downloads (downloads.apache.org) or GitHub releases
  3. 3. Extract the new version archive to a clean directory
  4. 4. Locate the tools/bdf-converter utility in the new version
  5. 5. Replace or rebuild the bdf-converter binary in any automation, CI/CD pipelines, or systems that use this tool
  6. 6. Rebuild and redeploy any systems or images that incorporated the vulnerable bdf-converter utility
Caveat Upgrading from 6.x to 12.x crosses multiple major versions; review the NuttX release notes for any breaking changes between these releases

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Nuttx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-47868 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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