Application crash or disclosure via PEM under-read
Published Jul 4, 2025 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Heap buffer under-read in Mbed TLS before 3.6.4 allows remote attackers to crash applications or disclose limited data via encrypted PEM input. The mbedtls_pem_read_buffer, mbedtls_pk_parse_key, and mbedtls_pk_parse_keyfile paths decrypt malformed material and read one byte before a function-allocated heap buffer. Exposure requires a non-NULL password, untrusted PEM-encrypted input, and MBEDTLS_PEM_C; the usual result is a crash, while any disclosure is limited.
Summary
What happened
Heap buffer under-read in Mbed TLS before 3.6.4 allows remote attackers to crash applications or disclose limited data via encrypted PEM input. The mbedtls_pem_read_buffer, mbedtls_pk_parse_key, and mbedtls_pk_parse_keyfile paths decrypt malformed material and read one byte before a function-allocated heap buffer. Exposure requires a non-NULL password, untrusted PEM-encrypted input, and MBEDTLS_PEM_C; the usual result is a crash, while any disclosure is limited.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-52497
- Published
- Jul 4, 2025
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- TrustedFirmware.org
- Product
- Mbed TLS
- Classifications
- CWE-127, CWE-193
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <3.6.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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