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NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

CVE-2026-18220: Binutils: binutils: out-of-bounds write in bfd dlx elf backend relocation processing

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.18% (FIRST EPSS).
  • 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 (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 2.47-1.1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to binutils (openSUSE:Tumbleweed) 2.47-1.1 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 out-of-bounds write vulnerability was found in the BFD library's DLX ELF backend (bfd/elf32-dlx.c) in GNU binutils. The dlx_rtype_to_howto() function maps ELF relocation types to internal howto structures but fails to perform adequate bounds checking on attacker-controlled relocation type values (via ELF32_R_TYPE(r_info)) before indexing into the dlx_elf_howto_table[] array. The DLX relocation type number space is non-contiguous (basic types 0-6, extended types at 0x10000+), but the default case in the switch statement allows arbitrary index values to reach the array access. A specially crafted ELF/DLX object file can trigger this out-of-bounds write when processed by any BFD-consuming tool (objdump, readelf, strip, ld, nm, objcopy). The vulnerability has been demonstrated to achieve arbitrary code execution via a File Stream Oriented Programming (FSOP) attack against glibc FILE structures (stderr), redirecting control flow to system(). Attack scenarios include CI/CD pipelines performing automated binary analysis, developer workstations running objdump/readelf on untrusted binaries, automated security scanning or malware analysis tools invoking binutils, and package build systems processing third-party code. Note: This vulnerability is only exploitable when binutils is built with the DLX backend enabled (typically via --enable-targets=all).

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
Jul 29, 2026
Updated
Jul 30, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 8th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

31

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · redhat
7.8
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

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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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.

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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.

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown
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  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

    • all versionsunknown
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    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown
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  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

    • all versionsunknown
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    • all versionsunknown
    • all versionsunknown

  • Red Hat Red Hat Hardened Images

    • all versionsaffected

  • Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4

    • all versionsunknown

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12binutilsfrom 0—
openSUSE:Tumbleweedbinutilsbefore 2.47-1.12.47-1.1

Same product

red hat: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2025-10230Samba: command injection in wins server hook script
    52Plan
  • CVE-2026-4631Cockpit: cockpit: unauthenticated remote code execution due to ssh command-line argument injection
    44Plan
  • CVE-2026-76578Ipa: freeipa: freeipa: unauthenticated ldap client can obtain administrator credentials via the self-managed-token aci
    39Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-16313Jul 28, 2026 · Sg3_utils: sg3_utils: arbitrary command execution via udev property injection in sg_inq --export
    30Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-18107Jul 28, 2026 · Criu: criu: container escape via rseq critical section hijack during checkpoint/restore
    31Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-16524Jul 30, 2026 · Pcp: pcp linux_sockets pmda: arbitrary command execution via command injection
    31Monitor

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
opensuse:binutils2.47-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage 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.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:882026-06-22

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.

  1. First PoC-37 d
  2. Published
  3. TodayNov 9, 2026+103 d
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.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-11977793 days apartGstreamer1-plugins-bad-free: gstreamer1-plugins-bad-free: stack buffer overflow in h.266/vvc parser
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-8647677 days apartGstreamer1-plugins-base: gst-plugins-base: heap buffer overflow via unvalidated gstvideometa plane extents in gst_video_frame_map_id and video_meta_deserialize
    33Monitor
  • CVE-2026-8162751 days apartQemu-kvm: vapic writable rom alias can escape the option-rom window and expose locked smram
    32Monitor
  • CVE-2026-384214 days apartQemu-kvm: hyperv/syndbg: missing mapped-length guard after cpu_physical_memory_map causes host oob write
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-9718557 days apartGimp: gimp: out-of-bounds write in gimpressionist plugin via crafted preset file
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-10125869 days apartGhostscript: ghostscript: -dsafer sandbox bypass via type 5 shading oob write and procedure-stream use-after-free
    31Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

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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
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 Write

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

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

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

Show all references (1 more)

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

All records