CVE-2025-54480
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 · uneditedA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the MFER parsing functionality of The Biosig Project libbiosig 3.9.0 and Master Branch (35a819fa). A specially crafted MFER file can lead to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.This vulnerability manifests on line 8719 of biosig.c on the current master branch (35a819fa), when the Tag is 0: if (tag==0) { if (len!=1) fprintf(stderr,"Warning MFER tag0 incorrect length %i!=1\n",len); curPos += ifread(buf,1,len,hdr); }
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 confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow in libbiosig's MFER parser allows arbitrary code execution when parsing specially crafted MFER files. At line 8719 of biosig.c, when processing a Tag value of 0, the code uses ifread(buf,1,len,hdr) to read len bytes into a fixed-size stack buffer without validating that len does not exceed the buffer's capacity. An attacker can provide a malicious MFER file with an oversized len value to overwrite stack memory and achieve 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< 3.9.1CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if libbiosig is installedSearch for libbiosig libraries or binaries on the system. Common locations: /usr/lib/, /usr/local/lib/, or check package managers (dpkg -l, rpm -qa, brew list). Also search for 'biosig' in file listings.Affected if libbiosig library or any software depending on it is present on the system
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Determine installed libbiosig versionRun 'pkg-config --modversion biosig' or check the library file version directly via 'ls -la' and examine the file metadata. If source was built locally, check the biosig.c file for version definitions or tags.Affected if The installed version is lower than 3.9.1
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Identify applications or workflows that process MFER filesSearch for applications that use libbiosig or handle MFER (Medical Waveform Format) files. Search logs, file processing pipelines, or examine application dependencies for biosig usage. MFER files are medical recording files typically with .mfer extension.Affected if Any application or automated workflow processes MFER files using libbiosig
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Inspect MFER file parsing code pathIf you have access to the source code using libbiosig, verify that MFER parsing is invoked. The vulnerable code is triggered when parsing an MFER file with Tag=0. Check for calls to biosig_open() or similar functions with MFER input.Affected if MFER file parsing with Tag=0 processing is performed by the installed libbiosig version
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Audit for presence of untrusted MFER input sourcesReview file upload mechanisms, data import workflows, or external systems that feed MFER files into libbiosig. Check if MFER files originate from untrusted sources such as user uploads, external APIs, or unverified medical devices.Affected if MFER files from untrusted or external sources are processed by the system
A user is affected if libbiosig version below 3.9.1 is installed AND the system processes MFER files (especially from untrusted sources) using the biosig library, as the buffer overflow triggers during MFER parsing with Tag=0.
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 · scoped3.9.1
Validate the len parameter against buffer size before any read operation; replace unsafe reads with bounds-checked alternatives; apply the vendor patch when available.
Libbiosig 3.9.1
- 1. Identify all systems running Libbiosig versions prior to 3.9.1
- 2. Obtain Libbiosig version 3.9.1 from the official source (biosig.sourceforge.net or project repository)
- 3. Backup current Libbiosig installation and any dependent applications
- 4. Compile and install Libbiosig version 3.9.1 following standard build procedures
- 5. Verify the new version is installed correctly by checking biosig_version or equivalent
- 6. Test critical MFER file parsing workflows to ensure functionality is intact
- 7. Redeploy updated library to all affected systems
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-54480 — 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-2025-54480 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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