CVE-2025-5278

Coreutils: heap buffer under-read in gnu coreutils sort via key specification

Published May 27, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 4.4 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2025-16308 A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8697-1 GNU Core Utilities vulnerabilities
References
Link Providers
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/05/27/2 cve-icon
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/05/29/1 cve-icon
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/05/29/2 cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:28911 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33124 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33313 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:33612 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34102 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:39981 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:44481 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:46836 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:50205 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:58981 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:69964 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:72502 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82304 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82322 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82347 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82354 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82372 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82857 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82888 cve-icon cve-icon
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-5278 cve-icon cve-icon
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2368764 cve-icon cve-icon
https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/commit/?id=8c9602e3a145e9596dc1a63c6ed67865814b6633 cve-icon cve-icon
https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/tree/NEWS?id=8c9602e3a145e9596dc1a63c6ed67865814b6633#n14 cve-icon
https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=78507 cve-icon cve-icon
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-5278 cve-icon
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-5278 cve-icon
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-5278 cve-icon
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat openshift Ai
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift_ai
Vendors & Products Redhat openshift Ai
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Els
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:6
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_els:7
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Els
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat cert Manager
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:cert_manager:1.20::el9
Vendors & Products Redhat cert Manager
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8 cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhui
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhui:5::el9
Vendors & Products Redhat rhui
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat cost Management
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:cost_management:4::el9
Vendors & Products Redhat cost Management
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat insights Proxy
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:insights_proxy:1.5::el9
Vendors & Products Redhat insights Proxy
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat openshift Distributed Tracing
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift_distributed_tracing:3.10::el9
Vendors & Products Redhat openshift Distributed Tracing
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat discovery
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:rhivos:1
cpe:/a:redhat:discovery:2::el9
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.2
Vendors & Products Redhat rhivos
Redhat discovery
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhivos
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:rhivos:1
Vendors & Products Redhat rhivos
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9 cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.
Title Coreutils: heap buffer under-read in gnu coreutils sort via key specification
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat openshift
Weaknesses CWE-121
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat openshift
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L'}