CVE-2025-9136: retroarch Buffer Overflow — Fix

Description

A flaw has been found in libretro RetroArch 1.18.0/1.19.0/1.20.0. This affects the function filestream_vscanf of the file libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c. This manipulation causes out-of-bounds read. The attack needs to be launched locally. Upgrading to version 1.21.0 mitigates this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.3

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-119 Buffer Overflow

CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
libretro	retroarch	All
libretro	retroarch	All
libretro	retroarch	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/17555 https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/17555#issuecomment-2651403849 https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/pull/17555/commits/6446f045ec7fc6a5cac3e8ec35a2f0a5889c88e8

Other References

https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/releases/tag/v1.21.0 https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.320516 https://vuldb.com/?id.320516 https://vuldb.com/?submit.617657 https://vuldb.com/?submit.617657

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-9136? +

A flaw has been found in libretro RetroArch 1.18.0/1.19.0/1.20.0. This affects the function filestream_vscanf of the file libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c. This manipulation causes out-of-bounds read. The attack needs to be launched locally. Upgrading to version 1.21.0 mitigates this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-9136? +

CVE-2025-9136 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-9136? +

CVE-2025-9136 affects products from libretro, specifically: retroarch. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-9136? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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