GNU Binutils BFD Library null pointer dereference enables local denial of service

A vulnerability has been found in GNU Binutils 2.44 and classified as problematic. This vulnerability affects the function bfd_elf_get_str_section of the file bfd/elf.c of the component BFD Library. The manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. Local access is required to approach this attack. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The name of the patch is db856d41004301b3a56438efd957ef5cabb91530. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

• Affected product: GNU Binutils 2.44.
• Component: BFD Library, specifically bfd_elf_get_str_section in bfd/elf.c.
• Branch status: The normalized record confirms 2.44 as affected. It does not provide enough evidence to determine the status of other branches or versions.
• Fix status: A patch is confirmed in the record, but no fixed release number is provided. Do not infer that all later or parallel branches are safe.

The flaw affects the bfd_elf_get_str_section function in bfd/elf.c, part of the BFD Library. Manipulated input can cause the function to use an invalid pointer and reach a null pointer dereference. The documented precondition is local access; the record also indicates low privileges, low attack complexity, and no user interaction. The available record does not specify the exact malformed ELF structure, the precise condition that leaves the pointer null, or the complete call path.

• The vulnerability is locally reachable and is not described as a direct network attack.
• An attacker needs local access with low privileges. The record indicates low attack complexity and no user interaction.
• Exploit details have been publicly disclosed and may be used; VulDB describes the status as proof of concept.
• The available evidence does not identify a specific campaign, victim, or concrete real-world exploitation case.

A null pointer dereference can crash a process handling binary data, causing denial of service or interruption of a task. The documented scope is local, and the available information does not show a change of privilege. The record identifies availability as the primary impact and does not establish confidentiality loss, integrity modification, code execution, or privilege escalation. In shared build environments, realistic consequences include failed jobs, interrupted binary analysis, and release delays.

• A successful trigger can terminate a tool using the BFD Library, interrupting build, link, binary-analysis, or inspection work.
• In shared CI/CD or build environments, malicious input could cause jobs to fail, delay releases, or require pipeline reruns.
• The primary risk is loss of process or service availability. The record does not establish data disclosure, integrity modification, or arbitrary code execution.
• Actual organisational impact depends on whether local users can control the processed input and whether the affected tool runs inside automated workflows.

1. Apply the GNU Binutils patch or a distributor-provided security update to affected installations. The record confirms that a patch is available, but it does not provide a specific fixed release.
2. Reconcile every Binutils branch and repackaged build installed by the operating-system or software vendor. Do not infer the status of another branch merely because a patch exists.
3. If patching is not immediately possible, restrict local access to binary-processing tools and avoid passing untrusted ELF files into workflows that use the BFD Library. This is a temporary risk reduction measure, not a replacement for the patch.
4. After updating, verify the installed package state on each host, review build environments, and rerun representative binary-processing workflows to confirm that the component was updated consistently.

• Inventory systems and development environments that install GNU Binutils, then identify the version of the package containing the BFD Library.
• Identify systems where local users or automated jobs can provide untrusted ELF files to tools that use the BFD Library.
• Compare the inventoried package state with the patch or update supplied by GNU Binutils, the operating-system distributor, or the relevant maintenance source.
• Review crash reports, core dumps, and abnormal termination of binary-processing tools after they read suspicious ELF data. This is precautionary monitoring, not a confirmed indicator of compromise.
• The record provides no unique log event or IOC; the absence of a crash does not demonstrate that a system is safe.