CVE-2021-20294: A flaw was found in binutils readelf 2.35 program.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 32/100)
- Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 3.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 88.5% 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 (Debian:12) 2.35.2-1; binutils (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 2.37-lp152.4.9.1; bpftrace (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1.
- Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to binutils (Debian:12) 2.35.2-1; binutils (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 2.37-lp152.4.9.1; bpftrace (openSUSE:Leap 15.2) 0.11.4-lp152.2.7.1 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
A flaw was found in binutils readelf 2.35 program. An attacker who is able to convince a victim using readelf to read a crafted file could trigger a stack buffer overflow, out-of-bounds write of arbitrary data supplied by the attacker. The highest impact of this flaw is to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
- Published
- Apr 29, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 3.2% · 88th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-787
Report tools
Action score
32
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 3.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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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.
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 |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gnu binutils2.35 and later · before 2.35.2
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 2.35.2affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | binutils | before 2.35.2-1 | 2.35.2-1 |
| 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 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | cross-xtensa-binutils | before 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 | 2.37-lp152.4.9.1 |
+28
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-2021-20197Mar 26, 2021 · There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ran25Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-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
- Later →CVE-2021-3549May 26, 2021 · An out of bounds flaw was found in GNU binutils objdump utility version 2.36.28Monitor
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:binutils | 2.35.2-1 · 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) |
| suse:binutils | 2.37-9.44.1 · SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:cross-ppc-binutils | 2.37-9.44.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:cross-spu-binutils | 2.37-9.44.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Proof of concept available
A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.
Evidence
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:11 | 2023-01-21 |
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.
- Published
- First PoC+631 d
- TodayNov 8, 2026+2019 d
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
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-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
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds WriteCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (4 more)Show less
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30
- sourceware.org/git/?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Ba=patch%3Bh=372dd157272e0674d13372655cc60eaca9c06926
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.