Binutils, elfutils: Buffer overflow

1. Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Advisory Reference	GLSA 200506-01 / binutils
Release Date	June 01, 2005
Latest Revision	May 22, 2006: 02
Impact	normal
Exploitable	remote

Package	Vulnerable versions	Unaffected versions	Architecture(s)
dev-libs/elfutils	< 0.108	>= 0.108	All supported architectures
sys-devel/binutils	< 2.16-r1	revision >= 2.14.90.0.8-r3, revision >= 2.15.90.0.1.1-r5, revision >= 2.15.90.0.3-r5, revision >= 2.15.91.0.2-r2, revision >= 2.15.92.0.2-r10, >= 2.16-r1	All supported architectures

Related bugreports: #91398, #91817

Synopsis

Various utilities from the GNU Binutils and elfutils packages are vulnerable to a heap based buffer overflow, potentially resulting in the execution of arbitrary code.

2. Impact Information

Background

The GNU Binutils are a collection of tools to create, modify and analyse binary files. Many of the files use BFD, the Binary File Descriptor library, to do low-level manipulation. Elfutils provides a library and utilities to access, modify and analyse ELF objects.

Description

Tavis Ormandy and Ned Ludd of the Gentoo Linux Security Audit Team discovered an integer overflow in the BFD library and elfutils, resulting in a heap based buffer overflow.

Impact

Successful exploitation would require a user to access a specially crafted binary file, resulting in the execution of arbitrary code.

3. Resolution Information

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All GNU Binutils users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.1: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose sys-devel/binutils

All elfutils users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.2: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=dev-libs/elfutils-0.108"

4. References

CVE-2005-1704

Updated June 01, 2005

Summary: This is a Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

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