Описание
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element:
- Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive)
- Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call
- Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state for standalone object files. Red Hat builds binutils with --enable-plugins and --enable-lto, confirming the vulnerable code path is compiled in and reachable. An attacker who can supply a crafted object or archive file to a build process using LTO-enabled linking could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (linker crash via segmentation fault). Arbitrary code execution is theoretically possible through heap manipulation but is substantially mitigated by hardening measures including stack protector, FORTIFY_SOURCE, ASLR, and PIE. The attack surface is limited to build-time environments — the linker is a development tool not exposed in production runtime. The most realistic exploitation scenario is a supply chain attack introducing a crafted object file as a build dependency in CI/CD pipelines or development environments.
Отчет
This Moderate severity use-after-free flaw in binutils affects Red Hat products where the GNU linker is used with Link-Time Optimization (LTO) plugins enabled, such as in development and CI/CD environments. Exploitation requires an attacker to introduce a specially crafted object or archive file into the build process, leading primarily to a denial of service due to a linker crash. Arbitrary code execution is theoretically possible but significantly hindered by existing system hardening measures.
Меры по смягчению последствий
Build environments should avoid running LTO-enabled linking (ld with plugin support) against untrusted or externally-supplied object and archive files. The linker is a build-time tool, not present in production runtimes, so the realistic exposure is to CI/CD pipelines and developer workstations that build from untrusted or externally-contributed sources (supply-chain style attack). Standard hardening measures (ASLR, stack protector, FORTIFY_SOURCE, PIE) substantially reduce the likelihood of arbitrary code execution via heap manipulation, limiting the more realistic impact to a linker crash (denial of service).
Затронутые пакеты
| Платформа | Пакет | Состояние | Рекомендация | Релиз |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | gcc-toolset-15-binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | gcc-toolset-16-binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | mingw-binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | binutils | Out of support scope | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | gcc-toolset-14-binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | gcc-toolset-15-binutils | Fix deferred | ||
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | mingw-binutils | Fix deferred |
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Дополнительная информация
Статус:
EPSS
5.5 Medium
CVSS3
Связанные уязвимости
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element: 1. Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive) 2. Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call 3. Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state fo...
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element: 1. Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive) 2. Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call 3. Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state for
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_ ...
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element: 1. Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive) 2. Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call 3. Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state ...
EPSS
5.5 Medium
CVSS3