CVE-2025-69651

binutils: Binutils: Denial of Service via crafted ELF binary processing

Published Mar 6, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations returns early due to parsing errors, the internal all_relocations array may remain partially uninitialized. Later, process_got_section_contents() may attempt to free an invalid r_symbol pointer, triggering memory corruption checks in glibc and causing the program to terminate with SIGABRT. No evidence of further memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service. NOTE: this is disputed by third parties because the observed behavior occurred only in pre-release code and did not affect any tagged version.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations returns early due to parsing errors, the internal all_relocations array may remain partially uninitialized. Later, process_got_section_contents() may attempt to free an invalid r_symbol pointer, triggering memory corruption checks in glibc and causing the program to terminate with SIGABRT. No evidence of further memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service. GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations returns early due to parsing errors, the internal all_relocations array may remain partially uninitialized. Later, process_got_section_contents() may attempt to free an invalid r_symbol pointer, triggering memory corruption checks in glibc and causing the program to terminate with SIGABRT. No evidence of further memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service. NOTE: this is disputed by third parties because the observed behavior occurred only in pre-release code and did not affect any tagged version.
References
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses NVD-CWE-noinfo
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-476
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 2.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Gnu
Gnu binutils
Vendors & Products Gnu
Gnu binutils
Type Values Removed Values Added
Title binutils: Binutils: Denial of Service via crafted ELF binary processing
Weaknesses CWE-824
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 2.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'}

threat_severity

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations returns early due to parsing errors, the internal all_relocations array may remain partially uninitialized. Later, process_got_section_contents() may attempt to free an invalid r_symbol pointer, triggering memory corruption checks in glibc and causing the program to terminate with SIGABRT. No evidence of further memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service.
References

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
mitre
Published
Updated
Apr 22, 2026, 6:52 PM
Reserved
Jan 9, 2026, 12:00 AM
Status
Modified
Published
Mar 6, 2026, 6:16 PM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 10:00 AM
Severity
Low
Public date
Mar 6, 2026, 12:00 AM