CVE-2017-17124
The _bfd_coff_read_string_table function in coffgen.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29.1, does not properly validate the size of the external string table, which allows remote attackers to…
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (1.84%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
The _bfd_coff_read_string_table function in coffgen.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29.1, does not properly validate the size of the external string table, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory consumption, or heap-based buffer overflow and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted COFF binary.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 1.84% probability · 79th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-119
- Affected
- gnu/binutils
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS moved from 3.0% on 21 September 2026 to 1.8% on 27 October 2026.
References
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-17
- https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=22507Exploit, Issue Tracking
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=b0029dce6867de1a2828293177b0e030d2f0f03c
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201811-17
- https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=22507Exploit, Issue Tracking
- https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=b0029dce6867de1a2828293177b0e030d2f0f03c
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.