CVE-2017-12448: gnu binutils Use After Free

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2017-12448 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in gnu binutils. EPSS estimates a 1.98% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 80.2% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 04-08-2017
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 17-09-2024
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

The bfd_cache_close function in bfd/cache.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29 and earlier, allows remote attackers to cause a heap use after free and possibly achieve code execution via a crafted nested archive file. This issue occurs because incorrect functions are called during an attempt to release memory. The issue can be addressed by better input validation in the bfd_generic_archive_p function in bfd/archive.c.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.