CVE-2025-48431
Apache Thrift ≤ 0.23.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-48431 is a high-severity Mismatched Memory Management Routines (CWE-762) vulnerability in Apache Thrift. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 38% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; 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-2025-48431 is a mismatched memory management routines vulnerability (CWE-762) in the c_glib language bindings of Apache Thrift. It affects versions of Apache Thrift prior to 0.23.0, where specially crafted requests can trigger a crash in a c_glib-based Thrift server, resulting in a clean but fatal "free(): invalid pointer" error message. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5, reflecting its network accessibility, low attack complexity, lack of required privileges or user interaction, unchanged scope, and high impact on availability with no impact on confidentiality or integrity.
Any unauthenticated remote attacker with network access to a vulnerable c_glib-based Thrift server can exploit this issue by sending specially crafted requests, causing a denial-of-service condition through server crashes. Exploitation requires no privileges or user interaction, making it straightforward for attackers to repeatedly trigger the crash and disrupt service availability.
Apache advisories recommend upgrading to Apache Thrift version 0.23.0, which resolves the issue. Additional details are available in the Apache mailing list announcement at https://lists.apache.org/thread/lb4j0zyd5f3g36cos0wql925przpnwql and the oss-security mailing list post at http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/28/8.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-209581
Vulnerability Data
Mismatched Memory Management Routines vulnerability in Apache Thrift c_glib language bindings. This issue affects Apache Thrift: before 0.23.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 0.23.0, which fixes the issue. Description: Specially crafted requests can crash an c_glib-based Thrift server…
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with a clean but fatal "free(): invalid pointer" error message.
- 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 can discover mismatched memory calls through static analysis, dynamic testing, or fuzzing.
Documented development standards and tools can enforce or check for correct pairing of allocators and deallocators.
An SDLC that incorporates security can embed memory-safety requirements, reducing the chance such coding errors are introduced.
Engineering principles can mandate consistent use of matching allocation and deallocation routines during design and implementation.
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 directly prevent mismatched alloc/free via code review and static analysis, but fixing this single CWE only partially fulfills the broad control.
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 in development can detect mismatched alloc/free pairs before release.
Secure development lifecycle mandates consistent allocation/deallocation patterns that prevent mismatched memory routines.
Application security requirements can specify correct use of release functions and pointer validation.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require use of matching allocators and deallocators.
Secure coding standards directly prohibit mismatched memory-management calls and enforce safe patterns.