libhdf5 fails to read a VL element whose global heap address is
undefined (all 0xff), even at length 0 ("addr undefined"); we returned
"" (or an empty sequence) in every reader. Checked with h5py first:
libhdf5 writes a null element with address 0, which still reads as
empty, and h5py writes "" as a zero-size heap object at a real address,
so no file they write relies on the old behaviour. read_vl_bytes now
treats address 0 as null whatever the length, as VlResolver does.
Tests, each failing before: vl_data unit test (8- and 4-byte offsets,
lengths 0 and 1); clawhdf5 vl_data_interop
a_vl_element_at_the_undefined_heap_address_fails_like_h5py (also checks
where h5py writes ""); h5rs dump --json and check --data on the patched
`undef` dataset; clawhdf5-wasm vl_strings.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <[email protected]>
h5rs (dump, ls, diff, check --data) kept its own lenient VL decoder:
a heap object longer than its element was cut to the element's length
(libhdf5 and h5py refuse it), a null string printed "" where h5dump
prints NULL, the stored element size was trusted, and every heap
collection was kept as an owned copy for the whole run. It now resolves
each element with VlResolver::element / string_element (new: one element
in place, borrowing from the file), and refuses a VL type whose stored
element size is not 4 + offset size + 4, as File does. H5::heap_object
and its cache are gone. h5diff compares a null VL string equal to an
empty one; so does h5rs diff.
clawhdf5-wasm already resolved VL strings with read_vl_strings; it now
uses VlResolver and checks the stored element size before reading, as
File::read_string does.
Tests (h5py writes the files, patched for "a\0b", a null element and
mis-sized heap objects, with 8- and 4-byte offsets):
- h5rs_interop dump_prints_vl_data_like_h5dump: byte-identical to h5dump;
- dump_json_vl_values_match_h5py: h5py's values, errors where h5py fails;
- check_data_flags_mis_sized_vl_heap_objects;
- clawhdf5-wasm tests/vl_strings.rs: wasm, File and h5py agree.
All four fail before. check --data over the 150 cve_hdf5 CVE and fuzzer
files now passes 15 (h5dump rejects 8 of them), was 16 and 9: the
stored-size check flags cve-2024-32608. h5rs-check-ok-files.sh --data:
0 of 422 flagged; h5rs-fuzz.sh: clean on 180 files.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <[email protected]>
