CVE-2025-57109
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 · uneditedKitware VTK (Visualization Toolkit) 9.5.0 is vulnerable to Heap Use-After-Free in vtkGLTFImporter::ImportActors. When processing GLTF files with invalid scene node references, the application accesses string members of mesh objects that have been previously freed during actor import operations.
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 confidenceVTK 9.5.0 contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability in the vtkGLTFImporter::ImportActors function. When parsing GLTF files with invalid scene node references, the importer incorrectly frees mesh objects during actor import but subsequently attempts to access string members of these already-freed objects.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
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.
-
Identify VTK installation locationSearch for VTK library files (libvtk*.so, libvtk*.dylib, or vtk*.dll) or check if ParaView/other VTK-based applications are installed. Common paths include /usr/lib/, /opt/, or application-specific directories.Affected if VTK libraries or VTK-based applications are found on the system
-
Determine installed VTK versionRun 'vtkVersion' command if available, or check library version strings with 'strings libvtkCommonCore.so.X | grep -i version' or check application metadata. Also check package manager listings (dpkg -l, rpm -qa, brew list).Affected if The installed VTK version is 9.5.0 exactly, or falls within the 9.5.x branch prior to patching
-
Verify GLTFImporter module availabilityCheck for the presence of GLTFImporter-related libraries (libvtkIOGLTFImporter.so, vtkIOGLTFImporter.dll) or check if the module is loaded in applications. Look for files containing 'GLTFImporter' or 'glTF' in the VTK installation directory.Affected if The GLTFImporter module/library is present on the system
-
Identify processes or applications using VTK GLTF importReview application configurations, logs, or running processes that may invoke the GLTFImporter. Check for applications that load 3D model files, particularly .gltf or .glb files.Affected if Any application or process is configured to import GLTF files using VTK's importer
-
Inspect GLTF file processing workflowsExamine any workflows, scripts, or pipelines that process untrusted GLTF files through VTK-based tools. Look for file type associations or import routines handling .gltf/.glb extensions.Affected if GLTF files from untrusted sources are being processed by VTK applications
A user is affected if VTK version 9.5.0 (or unpatched 9.5.x) is installed with the GLTFImporter module enabled and is used to parse GLTF files, particularly from untrusted sources.
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 dataValidate GLTF files before processing or disable the GLTFImporter in untrusted environments until an official patch is available from Kitware.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,960.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-57109 — 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-2025-57109 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data