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CVE-2021-20197· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ran

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 25/100)

  • 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: 0.30% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • 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

There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ranlib. When these utilities are run as a privileged user (presumably as part of a script updating binaries across different users), an unprivileged user can trick these utilities into getting ownership of arbitrary files through a symlink.

MediumCVSS 6.3 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Mar 26, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 21th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

25

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
25 / 40 · 6.3 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

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.

Follow CVE-2021-20197

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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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.

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Affected 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.

VendorProduct
gnubinutils
redhatenterprise linux
netappcloud backup
netappontap select deploy administration utility
netappsolidfire \& hci management node
broadcombrocade fabric operating system firmware

Affected versions

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

  • broadcom brocade fabric operating system firmwareall versions
  • gnu binutilsup to 2.35 inclusive
  • netapp cloud backupall versions
  • netapp ontap select deploy administration utilityall versions
  • netapp solidfire & hci management nodeall versions
  • redhat enterprise linux8.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • n/a binutils

    • binutils 2.35affected

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:8binutils-develbefore 2.30-108.el82.30-108.el8
Debian:12binutilsbefore 2.37-32.37-3
openSUSE:Leap 15.2binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2bpftracebefore 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.10.11.4-lp152.2.7.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-aarch64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-arm-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-avr-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-epiphany-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-hppa-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-hppa64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-i386-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-ia64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-m68k-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-mips-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-ppc-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-ppc64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-ppc64le-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-riscv64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-rx-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-s390-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-s390x-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-sparc-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-sparc64-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2cross-spu-binutilsbefore 2.37-lp152.4.9.12.37-lp152.4.9.1

+35

Same product

gnu: all records

Other 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 unsp
    40Plan
  • 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 po
    40Plan
  • 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-2020-35496Jan 4, 2021 · There's a flaw in bfd_pef_scan_start_address() of bfd/pef.c in binutils which could allow an attacker who is able to submit a crafted file t
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-35507Jan 4, 2021 · There's a flaw in bfd_pef_parse_function_stubs of bfd/pef.c in binutils in versions prior to 2.34 which could allow an attacker who is able
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2021-20284Mar 26, 2021 · A flaw was found in GNU Binutils 2.35.1, where there is a heap-based buffer overflow in _bfd_elf_slurp_secondary_reloc_section in elf.c due
    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 / packageFixed versionSource
almalinux:binutils-devel2.30-108.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
debian:binutils2.37-3 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:bpftrace0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-aarch64-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-arm-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-avr-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-epiphany-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-hppa-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-hppa64-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-i386-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-ia64-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-m68k-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-mips-binutils2.37-lp152.4.9.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
red hat:binutils0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:binutils-debuginfo0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:binutils-debugsource0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:binutils-devel0:2.30-108.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstreamPackage registry (OSV)
rocky linux:binutils0:2.30-108.el8 · Rocky Linux:8Package registry (OSV)
suse:binutils2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8Package registry (OSV)
suse:bpftrace0.11.4-3.2.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3Package registry (OSV)
suse:cross-ppc-binutils2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5Package registry (OSV)
suse:cross-spu-binutils2.37-9.39.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5Package 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.

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).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
None

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

nvd-primary

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (3 more)

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

All records