Ollama Multi-Modal Model Image Processing NULL Pointer Dereference
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2025-15514 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | VulnCheck |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-01-12 23:15:51 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-06-30 03:16:46 UTC |
| Description | Ollama 0.11.5-rc0 through current version 0.13.5 contain a null pointer dereference vulnerability in the multi-modal model image processing functionality. When processing base64-encoded image data via the /api/chat endpoint, the application fails to validate that the decoded data represents valid media before passing it to the mtmd_helper_bitmap_init_from_buf function. This function can return NULL for malformed input, but the code does not check this return value before dereferencing the pointer in subsequent operations. A remote attacker can exploit this by sending specially crafted base64 image data that decodes to invalid media, causing a segmentation fault and crashing the runner process. This results in a denial of service condition where the model becomes unavailable to all users until the service is restarted. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 8.7 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
EPSS: 0.006980000 probability, percentile 0.484910000 (date 2026-07-01)
Problem Types: CWE-395 | CWE-395 CWE-395: Use of NullPointerException Catch to Detect NULL Pointer Dereference | CWE-395 Use of NullPointerException Catch to Detect NULL Pointer Dereference
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | [email protected] | Secondary | 8.7 | HIGH | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 8.7 | HIGH | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Primary | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | ADP | CVSS | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c | Secondary | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | - | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc0 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc1 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc2 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc3 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc4 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | 0.11.5 | rc5 | All | All |
| Application | Ollama | Ollama | All | - | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Ollama | Ollama | affected v0.11.5-rc0 0.13.5 custom | Not specified |
| ADP | Red Hat | Red Hat OpenShift AI RHOAI | Not specified | Not specified |
| ADP | Red Hat | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 | Not specified | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| www.vulncheck.com/advisories/ollama-multi-modal-image-processing-null-pointer-d... | [email protected] | www.vulncheck.com | Third Party Advisory |
| huntr.com/bounties/172df98b-07cd-41ea-a628-366f8cd525c0 | [email protected] | huntr.com | Exploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory |
| access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-15514 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c | access.redhat.com | |
| bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c | bugzilla.redhat.com | |
| https/github.com/ollama/ollama | [email protected] | https | Product |
| security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2025/cve-2025-15514.json | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c | security.access.redhat.com | |
| ollama.com | [email protected] | ollama.com | Product |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Weblover (en)
Additional Advisory Data
| Source | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| ADP | 2026-01-13T00:09:32.095Z | Reported to Red Hat. |
| ADP | 2026-01-12T23:03:52.922Z | Made public. |
Workarounds
ADP: Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.