Antivirus: NULL Pointer Dereference
CVE-2025-7007 is a high-severity NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in Antivirus from Avast, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. Affected Antivirus versions: 16.0.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.12% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Antivirus you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on gendigital.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (nortonlifelock.com).
Official description
NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in Avast Antivirus on MacOS, Avast Anitvirus on Linux when scanning a malformed Windows PE file causes the antivirus process to crash.This issue affects Antivirus: 16.0.0; Anitvirus: 3.0.3.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: NULL Pointer Dereference
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any pointers that could have been modified or provided from a function that can return NULL, check the pointer for NULL before use. When working with a multithreaded or otherwise asynchronous environment, ensure that proper locking APIs are used to lock before the check, and unlock when it has finished.
- Select a programming language that is not susceptible to these issues.
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is non-null before acting upon it.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Antivirus
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
Recent NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
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