CVE-2025-5278
Description
A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.
Statement
The severity of this issue is considered Moderate rather than Critical because successful exploitation requires the use of the traditional key specification syntax with an exceptionally large character position value, which is uncommon in typical usage. Although the vulnerability can lead to a heap buffer overflow resulting in a read one byte before the allocated buffer, it does not enable code execution, privilege escalation, or direct compromise of data confidentiality or integrity. The impact is therefore primarily limited to potential service disruption due to application crashes.
Furthermore, default RHEL configurations such as SELinux enforcement, ASLR, and memory protections reduce the likelihood of exploitation and limit the scope of any resulting impact. These safeguards, along with typical system usage patterns that do not commonly invoke the vulnerable code path, restrict exploitability in default and hardened environments. Consequently, the vulnerability’s overall security impact is mitigated compared to flaws that allow immediate code execution or broader compromise across system components.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't 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).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 4.4 | N/A | 4.4 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
Buffer overflows generally lead to crashes. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Bypass Protection Mechanism
Buffer overflows often can be used to execute arbitrary code, which is usually outside the scope of a program's implicit security policy.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control,Other
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Bypass Protection Mechanism; Other
When the consequence is arbitrary code execution, this can often be used to subvert any other security service.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Mohamed Maatallah for reporting this issue.
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