CVE-2025-54480: Critical Stack-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in The Biosig Project libbiosig 3.9.0

Overview

As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, a new critical vulnerability has been discovered in the software library of The Biosig Project libbiosig version 3.9.0. This vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-54480, can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution and system compromise, hence posing significant risks to the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data and systems. This vulnerability matters because if left unpatched, it could allow malicious actors to execute arbitrary code with the potential to compromise systems or leak sensitive data.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54480
Severity: Critical (9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise, and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

The Biosig Project libbiosig | 3.9.0 and Master Branch (35a819fa)

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability stems from a stack-based buffer overflow in the MFER parsing functionality within The Biosig Project libbiosig 3.9.0. When a specially crafted MFER file is provided, the code execution is triggered. This vulnerability is manifested when the Tag is 0 on line 8719 of biosig.c in the current master branch (35a819fa). This allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code and potentially compromise the system.

Conceptual Example Code

This could be a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is not an actual exploit code but a representation of how a malicious file could be used to trigger the vulnerability.

# Python pseudocode to demonstrate the exploitation
# Import required libraries
import socket, struct
# Create socket
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
# Connect to vulnerable system
s.connect(('target.example.com', 80))
# Craft MFER file with malicious payload
payload = struct.pack("I", 0x35a819fa) * (8719 / 4) # Overflow the buffer
# Send malicious MFER file
s.send(payload)

Please note that this is a hypothetical example and not an actual exploit code. It is shared for educational purposes only to understand the nature of the vulnerability.

Mitigation Guidance

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply vendor patches as soon as they become available. In the absence of a patch, the use of Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can offer temporary mitigation. However, these measures are not foolproof and can only reduce the risk of exploitation, not eliminate it. Consequently, vigilance in monitoring system logs and network traffic is also recommended.