In the HDF5 1.8.16 library's failure to check if the number of dimensions for an array read from the file is within the bounds of the space allocated for it, a heap-based buffer overflow will occur, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.

When decoding data out of a dataset encoded with the H5Z_NBIT decoding, the HDF5 1.8.16 library will fail to ensure that the precision is within the bounds of the size leading to arbitrary code execution.

The library's failure to check if certain message types support a particular flag, the HDF5 1.8.16 library will cast the structure to an alternative structure and then assign to fields that aren't supported by the message type and the library will write outside the bounds of the heap buffer. This can lead to code execution under the context of the library.

The HDF5 1.8.16 library allocating space for the array using a value from the file has an impact within the loop for initializing said array allowing a value within the file to modify the loop's terminator. Due to this, an aggressor can cause the loop's index to point outside the bounds of the array when initializing it.