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Noroxi
CVE-2023-1972· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

A potential heap based buffer overflow was found in _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables() in bfd/elf.c.

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 26/100)

  • 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: 0.89% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 58.3% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet 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: CBL Mariner 2.0 ARM 2.37-10; CBL Mariner 2.0 x64 2.37-10.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to CBL Mariner 2.0 ARM 2.37-10; CBL Mariner 2.0 x64 2.37-10 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

A potential heap based buffer overflow was found in _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables() in bfd/elf.c. This may lead to loss of availability.

MediumCVSS 6.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
May 17, 2023
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.9% · 58th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

26

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

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-2023-1972

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

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 · up to 2.40 inclusive

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

    • affected at least binutils 2.40affected

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.18binutilsfrom 2.35 · before 2.40-r72.40-r7
Alpine:v3.19binutilsfrom 2.35 · before 2.40-r102.40-r10
Debian:12binutilsall versions—
Debian:13binutilsbefore 2.41-12.41-1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-aarch64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-arm-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-avr-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-epiphany-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-hppa-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-hppa64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-i386-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-ia64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-m68k-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-mips-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-ppc-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-ppc64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-ppc64le-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-riscv64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-rx-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-s390-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-s390x-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-sparc-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-sparc64-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1
openSUSE:Leap 15.5cross-spu-binutilsbefore 2.41-150100.7.46.12.41-150100.7.46.1

+6

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
  • CVE-2017-7226The pe_ILF_object_p function in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, is vulnerable to
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2017-6969readelf in GNU Binutils 2.28 is vulnerable to a heap-based buffer over-read while processing corrupt RL78 binaries.
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2020-19726An issue was discovered in binutils libbfd.c 2.36 relating to the auxiliary symbol data allows attackers to read or write to system memory o
    35Monitor

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
CBL Mariner 2.0 ARM2.37-10 · binutilsMicrosoft (MSRC)
CBL Mariner 2.0 x642.37-10 · binutilsMicrosoft (MSRC)
alpine:binutils2.40-r7 · Alpine:v3.18Package registry (OSV)
debian:binutils2.41-1 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.4Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-aarch64-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-arm-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-avr-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-epiphany-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-hppa-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-hppa64-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-i386-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-ia64-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-m68k-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cross-mips-binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.5Package registry (OSV)
suse:binutils2.41-150100.7.46.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4Package registry (OSV)
suse:binutils2.41-9.53.1 · 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).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet 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
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

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

All records