CVE-2025-9136Public exploit

Out-of-bounds memory read via uninitialized scan length

Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 19, 2025

Out-of-bounds read in RetroArch 1.18.0 through 1.20.0 allows local users to read adjacent memory via crafted format strings. filestream_vscanf fails to check a zero return from sscanf, leaving sublen uninitialized before advancing the buffer iterator out of bounds. Local users with low privileges can submit formats such as %*d%s or %d%*d%s to disclose process memory or destabilize the application.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds read in RetroArch 1.18.0 through 1.20.0 allows local users to read adjacent memory via crafted format strings. filestream_vscanf fails to check a zero return from sscanf, leaving sublen uninitialized before advancing the buffer iterator out of bounds. Local users with low privileges can submit formats such as %*d%s or %d%*d%s to disclose process memory or destabilize the application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-9136
Published
Aug 19, 2025
Updated
Aug 19, 2025
Vendor
Libretro
Product
RetroArch
Classifications
CWE-125
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 19, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1.18.0
  2. Affected versionversion=1.19.0
  3. Affected versionversion=1.20.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Libretro · RetroArchversion=1.18.0; version=1.19.0; version=1.20.0

Published CVSS scores

5.3VulDBCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
4.3VulDBAV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.8VulDBCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo