CVE-2025-53010 — materialx
Fix: AcademySoftwareFoundation/MaterialX@e13344bCVE-2025-53010 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in materialx. A fix is available for materialx — see the affected versions and patch details below.
MaterialX's unchecked nodeGraph->getOutput return is vulnerable to NULL Pointer Dereference
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-53010.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
materialxReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
When parsing shader nodes in a MTLX file, the MaterialXCore code accesses a potentially null pointer, which can lead to crashes with maliciously crafted files.
Details
In src/MaterialXCore/Material.cpp, in function getShaderNodes, the following code fetches the output nodes for a given nodegraph input node:
// SNIP...
else if (input->hasNodeGraphString())
{
// Check upstream nodegraph connected to the input.
// If no explicit output name given then scan all outputs on the nodegraph.
ElementPtr parent = materialNode->getParent();
NodeGraphPtr nodeGraph = parent->getChildOfType<NodeGraph>(input->getNodeGraphString());
if (!nodeGraph)
{
continue;
}
vector<OutputPtr> outputs;
if (input->hasOutputString())
{
outputs.push_back(nodeGraph->getOutput(input->getOutputString())); // <--- null ptr is returned
}
else
{
outputs = nodeGraph->getOutputs();
}
for (OutputPtr output : outputs)
{
NodePtr upstreamNode = output->getConnectedNode(); // <--- CRASHES HERE
if (upstreamNode && !shaderNodeSet.count(upstreamNode))
{
if (!target.empty() && !upstreamNode->getNodeDef(target))
{
continue;
}
shaderNodeVec.push_back(upstreamNode);
shaderNodeSet.insert(upstreamNode);
}
}
}
}
// SNIP...
The issues arise because the nodeGraph->getOutput(input->getOutputString()) call can return a null pointer, therefore when trying to call output->getConnectedNode(), this results in a crash .
PoC
Please download nullptr_getshadernodes.mltx from the following link:
https://github.com/ShielderSec/poc/tree/main/CVE-2025-53010
build/bin/MaterialXView --material nullptr_getshadernodes.mtlx
Impact
An attacker could intentionally crash a target program that uses OpenEXR by sending a malicious MTLX file.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | materialx | ≥ 1.39.2&&< 1.39.3 | 1.39.3pip install --upgrade 'materialx==1.39.3' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for materialx, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update materialx to 1.39.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-53010 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2025-53010 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-53010. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-53010 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-53010 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.