CVE-2025-5278: Heap Buffer Under-Read in GNU Coreutils sort begfield()
CVE-2025-5278 Published on May 27, 2025
Coreutils: heap buffer under-read in gnu coreutils sort via key specification
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.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-5278 is exploitable with local system access, requires user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a small impact on confidentiality, a small impact on integrity, and a small impact on availability.
Timeline
Reported to Red Hat.
Made public.
Weakness Type
What is a Stack Overflow Vulnerability?
A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function).
CVE-2025-5278 has been classified to as a Stack Overflow vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2025-5278
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Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.