Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-25475 is a high-severity NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476) vulnerability in Offis Dcmtk. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Endpoint Denial of Service (T1499); ranked at the 43th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-25475 is a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability (CWE-476) affecting the /libsrc/dcrleccd.cc component in DCMTK v3.6.9+ DEV versions. Published on 2025-02-18, it enables attackers to trigger a Denial of Service (DoS) by processing a crafted DICOM file. The issue carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), reflecting high severity due to its network accessibility, low complexity, and significant availability impact with no privileges or user interaction required.
Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability by supplying a malicious DICOM file to any DCMTK-based application or service that parses such files, such as medical imaging systems. Exploitation leads to an application crash via the NULL pointer dereference, resulting in DoS without affecting confidentiality or integrity.
Mitigation patches are available in DCMTK's repository via commit bffa3e9116abb7038b432443f16b1bd390e80245, accessible through the project's Git and GitHub mirrors. Debian LTS has also addressed the issue in an announcement dated 2025/06. Security practitioners should update affected DCMTK instances and validate DICOM inputs where possible.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-4573
Vulnerability Data
A NULL pointer dereference in the component /libsrc/dcrleccd.cc of DCMTK v3.6.9+ DEV allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via a crafted DICOM file.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation (including static analysis) directly finds null-dereference bugs before deployment.
Documented development standards and tools can enforce null-safety rules and safe pointer usage.
Engineering principles can mandate defensive coding such as explicit null checks before dereference.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices (static analysis, code review, safe coding standards) directly prevent NULL dereference bugs during development.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect NULL dereference defects before release.
Secure SDLC mandates defensive coding practices that can prevent NULL dereferences.
Application security requirements can specify input validation and pointer-safety rules.
Secure architecture principles encourage defensive design that avoids unsafe pointer use.
Secure coding standards directly require NULL-pointer checks and safe dereference patterns.