CVE-2019-9077
Description
A vulnerability was found in the readelf utility in GNU Binutils. This issue involves a heap-based buffer overflow in the process_mips_specific function, which can be triggered by a malformed MIPS option section in binary files.
Statement
This vulnerability in GNU Binutils is considered moderate. While it involves a heap-based buffer overflow in the process_mips_specific function, successful exploitation requires the attacker to craft a specific malformed MIPS option section within a binary ELF file. This scenario limits the attack vector to files that the user explicitly processes with readelf, rather than making it exploitable through network services or untrusted inputs. Moreover, binutils does not handle privileged operations, meaning exploitation is unlikely to lead to system compromise or escalation of privileges. Additionally, the impact is localized to the application itself, without affecting the broader system or network security.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.3 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | None | N/A |
| User Interaction | Required | Required | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | Low | High | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | High | High | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Red Hat CVSS v3 Score Explanation
As explained in detail in the statement section,the successful exploitation will only result in crash of the application itself rather than the system in use,and it is highly unlikely a successful exploitation can even happen considering a user will have to select a malformed MIPs section of an elf, which is why CVSS has been marked as such.
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