The ELF parser (readelf.c) in file before 5.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or crash) via a large n
The ELF parser (readelf.c) in file before 5.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or crash) via a large number of (1) program or (2) section headers or (3) invalid capabilities.
- Published
- Dec 17, 2014
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.4% · 91th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-399
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Report tools
Action score
21
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 20 / 40 · 5.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.4%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| file project | file | cpe:2.3:a:file_project:file |
| freebsd | freebsd | cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd |
| mageia | mageia | cpe:2.3:o:mageia:mageia |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical ubuntu linux10.04
- canonical ubuntu linux12.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.10
- file project file5.20
- freebsd freebsdall versions
- mageia mageia4.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | file | before 1:5.21+15-1 | 1:5.21+15-1 |
| Debian:6.0 | file | before 5.04-5+squeeze9 | 5.04-5+squeeze9 |
| Debian:7 | file | before 5.11-2+deb7u7 | 5.11-2+deb7u7 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | file | before 5.29-2.1 | 5.29-2.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | file | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | file-debuginfo | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | file-devel | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | file-libs | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | file-static | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | python-magic | before 0:5.04-30.el6 | 0:5.04-30.el6 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | file | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | file-debuginfo | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | file-devel | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | file-libs | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | file-static | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | python-magic | before 0:5.11-31.el7 | 0:5.11-31.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | file | before 5.22-10.3.1 | 5.22-10.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP2 | python-magic | before 5.22-10.3.1 | 5.22-10.3.1 |
Same product
file project: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-8907do_core_note in readelf.c in libmagic.a in file 5.35 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (stack corruption and application 36Monitor
- CVE-2019-8904do_bid_note in readelf.c in libmagic.a in file 5.35 has a stack-based buffer over-read, related to file_printf and file_vprintf.36Monitor
- CVE-2019-18218cdf_read_property_info in cdf.c in file through 5.37 does not restrict the number of CDF_VECTOR elements, which allows a heap-based buffer o32Monitor
- CVE-2018-10360The do_core_note function in readelf.c in libmagic.a in file 5.33 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read a27Monitor
- CVE-2022-48554File before 5.43 has an stack-based buffer over-read in file_copystr in funcs.c.22Monitor
- CVE-2017-1000249An issue in file() was introduced in commit 9611f31313a93aa036389c5f3b15eea53510d4d1 (Oct 2016) lets an attacker overwrite a fixed 20 bytes 22Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:file | 1:5.21+15-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:file | 5.29-2.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:file | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:file-debuginfo | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:file-devel | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:file-libs | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:file-static | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:python-magic | 0:5.11-31.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:file | 5.22-10.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:python-magic | 5.22-10.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP2 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- P · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- P
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-399 · Resource Management ErrorsCVSS vector
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
- advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2015-0040.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0760.html
- seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q4/1056
- secunia.com/advisories/61944
- secunia.com/advisories/62081
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/71700
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1031344
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2494-1
- github.com/file/file/blob/00cef282a902a4a6709bbbbb933ee397768caa38/ChangeLog
- github.com/file/file/commit/b4c01141e5367f247b84dcaf6aefbb4e741842b8
- github.com/file/file/commit/d7cdad007c507e6c79f51f058dd77fab70ceb9f6
- www.freebsd.org/security/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-14:28.file.asc
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.