CVE-2017-15938
dwarf2.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, miscalculates DW_FORM_ref_addr die refs in the case of a relocatable object file, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service…
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (4.60%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
dwarf2.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, miscalculates DW_FORM_ref_addr die refs in the case of a relocatable object file, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (find_abstract_instance_name invalid memory read, segmentation fault, and application crash).
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- EPSS
- 4.60% probability · 92th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-119
- Affected
- gnu/binutils
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 4.6% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101610
- https://blogs.gentoo.org/ago/2017/10/24/binutils-invalid-memory-read-in-find_abstract_instance_name-dwarf2-c/Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201801-01
- https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=22209Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=1b86808a86077722ee4f42ff97f836b12420bb2a
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/101610
- https://blogs.gentoo.org/ago/2017/10/24/binutils-invalid-memory-read-in-find_abstract_instance_name-dwarf2-c/Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201801-01
- https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=22209Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=1b86808a86077722ee4f42ff97f836b12420bb2a
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.