BFD Library XCOFF Relocation Validation Defect DoS
CVE-2026-4647 Published on March 23, 2026
Binutils: out-of-bounds read in xcoff relocation processing in gnu binutils bfd library
A flaw was found in the GNU Binutils BFD library, a widely used component for handling binary files such as object files and executables. The issue occurs when processing specially crafted XCOFF object files, where a relocation type value is not properly validated before being used. This can cause the program to read memory outside of intended bounds. As a result, affected tools may crash or expose unintended memory contents, leading to denial-of-service or limited information disclosure risks.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-4647 can be exploited 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 high impact on availability.
Timeline
Reported to Red Hat.
Made public.
Weakness Type
Out-of-bounds Read
The software reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. Typically, this can allow attackers to read sensitive information from other memory locations or cause a crash. A crash can occur when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string. The expected sentinel might not be located in the out-of-bounds memory, causing excessive data to be read, leading to a segmentation fault or a buffer overflow. The software may modify an index or perform pointer arithmetic that references a memory location that is outside of the boundaries of the buffer. A subsequent read operation then produces undefined or unexpected results.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-4647
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