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CVE-2016-10254· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

The allocate_elf function in common.h in elfutils before 0.168 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted EL

The allocate_elf function in common.h in elfutils before 0.168 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted ELF file, which triggers a memory allocation failure.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Mar 23, 2017
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.6% · 74th percentile
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Report tools

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Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.6%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
elfutils projectelfutils

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • elfutils project elfutilsup to 0.167 inclusive

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12elfutilsbefore 0.168-0.20.168-0.2
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3elfutilsbefore 0.158-7.7.20.158-7.7.2

Same product

elfutils project: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2018-16402libelf/elf_end.c in elfutils 0.173 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (double free and application crash) or possibly have
    40Plan
  • CVE-2018-8769elfutils 0.170 has a buffer over-read in the ebl_dynamic_tag_name function of libebl/ebldynamictagname.c because SYMTAB_SHNDX is unsupported
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2014-0172Integer overflow in the check_section function in dwarf_begin_elf.c in the libdw library, as used in elfutils 0.153 and possibly through 0.1
    28Monitor
  • CVE-2019-7149A heap-based buffer over-read was discovered in the function read_srclines in dwarf_getsrclines.c in libdw in elfutils 0.175.
    27Monitor
  • CVE-2018-18520An Invalid Memory Address Dereference exists in the function elf_end in libelf in elfutils through v0.174.
    27Monitor
  • CVE-2014-9447Directory traversal vulnerability in the read_long_names function in libelf/elf_begin.c in elfutils 0.152 and 0.161 allows remote attackers
    27Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:elfutils0.168-0.2 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
suse:elfutils0.158-7.7.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3Package 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.

EPSS, last 120 days

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.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, 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

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records