CVE-2020-35448: An issue was discovered in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35.1.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 13/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 68.9% of all records.
- 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.
- Fixed version: binutils-devel (AlmaLinux:8) 2.30-108.el8; binutils (Debian:12) 2.37-3; binutils (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 2.37-lp152.4.9.1.
- Mentioned 2 times in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to binutils-devel (AlmaLinux:8) 2.30-108.el8; binutils (Debian:12) 2.37-3; binutils (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
An issue was discovered in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.35.1. A heap-based buffer over-read can occur in bfd_getl_signed_32 in libbfd.c because sh_entsize is not validated in _bfd_elf_slurp_secondary_reloc_section in elf.c.
- Published
- Dec 27, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.2% · 68th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-125
Report tools
Action score
13
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 13 / 40 · 3.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 1.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens
Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnu | binutils | cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils |
| netapp | ontap select deploy administration utility | cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gnu binutils2.35.1
- netapp ontap select deploy administration utilityall versions
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:8 | binutils-devel | before 2.30-108.el8 | 2.30-108.el8 |
| Debian:12 | binutils | before 2.37-3 | 2.37-3 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | bpftrace | before 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1 | 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-aarch64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-arm-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-avr-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-epiphany-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-hppa-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-hppa64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-i386-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-ia64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-m68k-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-mips-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-ppc-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-ppc64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-ppc64le-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-riscv64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-rx-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-s390-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-s390x-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-sparc-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-sparc64-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-spu-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
+35
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2018-12699finish_stab in stabs.c in GNU Binutils 2.30 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer overflow) or possibly have unsp40Plan
- CVE-2017-7614elflink.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, has a "member access within null po40Plan
- CVE-2014-9939ihex.c in GNU Binutils before 2.26 contains a stack buffer overflow when printing bad bytes in Intel Hex objects.40Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-16593Dec 9, 2020 · A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.322Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-16599Dec 9, 2020 · A Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.322Monitor
- Later →CVE-2020-35493Jan 4, 2021 · A flaw exists in binutils in bfd/pef.c.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 |
|---|---|---|
| almalinux:binutils-devel | 2.30-108.el8 · AlmaLinux:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:binutils | 2.37-3 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:bpftrace | 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-aarch64-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-arm-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-avr-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-epiphany-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-hppa-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-hppa64-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-i386-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-ia64-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-m68k-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:cross-mips-binutils | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:binutils | 0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseos | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:binutils-debuginfo | 0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:binutils-debugsource | 0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:binutils-devel | 0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| rocky linux:binutils | 0:2.30-108.el8 · Rocky Linux:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:binutils | 2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:bpftrace | 0.11.4-3.2.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:cross-ppc-binutils | 2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:cross-spu-binutils | 2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | 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.
No commit or PR link among the references.
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).
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-22-0222 · Mar 15, 2022(RedHat Güvenlik Güncellemesi)
- TR-21-0622 · Aug 9, 2021(IBM Güvenlik Bülteni Yayınladı)
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
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds ReadCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (2 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.