CVE-2018-25032 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting the zlib data compression library, which is used in various software configurations and operating systems. This issue occurs when compressing input with many distant matches and may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. To address this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the affected software to the latest versions.

How do I know if I'm affected?

If you're using software or an operating system that relies on the zlib library, you might be affected by the vulnerability. This issue is present in zlib versions before 1.2.12 and can cause memory corruption when compressing data with distant matches. Affected systems include certain versions of Debian Linux, Fedora, Apple macOS, Python, and MariaDB. To check if you're affected, verify the version of zlib or the software you're using and see if it falls within the vulnerable range. Keep in mind that this vulnerability might not show obvious signs or symptoms.

What should I do if I'm affected?

If you're affected by the vulnerability, it's important to update your software to the latest version. For macOS users, install Security Update 2022-004 Catalina from the Mac App Store. Fedora users can run the command su -c 'dnf upgrade --advisory FEDORA-2022-b58a85e167'. Gentoo users should use the emerge command to upgrade zlib to version 1.2.12-r3 or later. Always keep your software up-to-date to stay protected.

Is this in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog?

The CVE-2018-25032 vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. This high-severity issue affects the zlib data compression library and can lead to memory corruption when compressing certain inputs. To mitigate the risk, it's crucial to update the affected software to the latest version. For example, macOS users should install Security Update 2022-004 Catalina, while Fedora and Gentoo users should follow the respective update instructions provided by their distributions.

Weakness enumeration

The weakness enumeration for this vulnerability is categorized as CWE-787, which is an out-of-bounds write issue in zlib before version 1.2.12, which can lead to memory corruption and potential security risks.

For more details

CVE-2018-25032 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability affecting the zlib data compression library. This issue has been addressed in various software configurations and operating systems, including macOS, Fedora, and Gentoo. Users are advised to update their software to the latest version to mitigate the risk. For more information about the vulnerability, including its description, severity, technical details, and known affected software configurations, visit the NVD page or the links below.

• Full Disclosure: APPLE-SA-2022-05-16-4 Security Update 2022-004 Catalina

• Fedora 35 Update: zlib-1.2.11-31.fc35

• zlib: Multiple vulnerabilities (GLSA 202210-42) — Gentoo security

• About the security content of Security Update 2022-004 Catalina