Published: 2025-11-21T19:16:02.267
Overview
A critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-62608, has been discovered in MLX, an array framework for machine learning on Apple silicon. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 0.29.4 and stems from the parsing of potentially malicious NumPy .npy files. Exploitation could lead to a crash or information disclosure.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies within the mlx::core::load() function, which handles the loading of .npy files. A maliciously crafted .npy file can trigger a 13-byte out-of-bounds read due to inadequate bounds checking during the parsing process. This out-of-bounds read occurs on the heap, potentially allowing an attacker to read sensitive information or cause a denial-of-service condition by crashing the application.
CVSS Analysis
Due to the information currently available, a CVSS score has not been assigned. However, the potential for information disclosure and denial-of-service indicates a non-negligible severity level. A more detailed CVSS analysis will be provided as more information becomes available.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-62608 could have several significant impacts:
- Information Disclosure: An attacker could potentially read sensitive data stored in memory adjacent to the buffer being accessed.
- Denial of Service (DoS): The out-of-bounds read can lead to a crash of the MLX application, disrupting its normal operation.
- Potential Code Execution (Speculative): While not explicitly confirmed, heap buffer overflows can, in certain circumstances, be leveraged for code execution. Further analysis is required to determine if this is possible in this case.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The vulnerability has been patched in MLX version 0.29.4. Users of MLX on Apple silicon are strongly advised to upgrade to version 0.29.4 or later as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of exploitation. Instructions for upgrading can be found in the official MLX documentation.
