Skip to main content

GNU binutils CVE-2026-18220

| EUVDEUVD-2026-50279 HIGH
Out-of-bounds Write (CWE-787)
2026-07-29 redhat GHSA-9x84-fgv4-3chj
RCE Buffer Overflow Memory Corruption Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 Red Hat Openshift Container Platform 4 Suse Red Hat Hardened Images Red Hat
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: redhat
Share

Severity by source

Vendor (redhat) PRIMARY
7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI
7.8 HIGH

A local untrusted file parsed by a BFD tool (AV:L, UI:R, PR:N) yields full code execution (C:H/I:H/A:H); AC kept Low for the parse itself, though the non-default DLX build gate arguably raises real-world complexity.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE
HIGH
qualitative
Red Hat
7.8 HIGH
qualitative

Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).

CVSS VectorVendor: redhat

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Analysis Generated
Jul 29, 2026 - 10:53 vuln.today
CVE Published
Jul 29, 2026 - 09:47 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

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).

AnalysisAI

Out-of-bounds write in GNU binutils' BFD library (bfd/elf32-dlx.c) lets a crafted ELF/DLX object file corrupt memory and achieve arbitrary code execution when parsed by any BFD-consuming tool (objdump, readelf, strip, ld, nm, objcopy). Reported by Red Hat and tracked against RHEL 6-10, Hardened Images and OpenShift 4, the flaw is only reachable when binutils is compiled with the DLX backend (typically --enable-targets=all), so exposure is gated by a non-default build option. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis (not in CISA KEV), though the researcher demonstrated code execution via a File Stream Oriented Programming (FSOP) attack on glibc FILE structures.

Technical ContextAI

The BFD (Binary File Descriptor) library is the file-format abstraction layer underpinning all GNU binutils tools and the GNU linker. The DLX ELF backend implements relocation handling for the DLX RISC architecture. The vulnerable dlx_rtype_to_howto() function translates an ELF relocation type extracted from attacker-controlled r_info (via ELF32_R_TYPE) into an internal 'howto' descriptor by indexing dlx_elf_howto_table[]. Because the DLX relocation number space is non-contiguous (basic types 0-6, extended types at 0x10000+), the switch statement's default case passes unvalidated indices straight into the array access, producing an out-of-bounds write - the classic CWE-787 root cause. Any workflow that feeds an untrusted object file to a BFD tool built with this backend reaches the sink.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch version is identified in the provided data, so monitor and apply the fixed binutils package once published via the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-18220 and Bugzilla https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2507670 (update binutils, objdump, readelf, strip, ld, nm and objcopy together, as they share the BFD library). As an immediate compensating control, check whether your binutils was built with the DLX backend (--enable-targets=all); if exotic targets are not needed, deploy binutils built only for required architectures to remove the vulnerable code path entirely, with the trade-off of losing the ability to analyze DLX/non-native objects. Where you cannot rebuild, avoid running BFD tools on untrusted binaries: sandbox or containerize automated binary-analysis steps in CI/CD and malware scanners (seccomp, unprivileged user, no network, ephemeral filesystem) so a successful write cannot pivot, accepting added pipeline complexity, and instruct developers not to run objdump/readelf directly on attacker-supplied files.

More in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10

View all
CVE-2026-18663 MEDIUM
5.9 Aug 12

Heap corruption via double-free in 389-ds-base's LDAP control parsing allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash
CVE-2026-4631 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Apr 07

Remote code execution in Cockpit's web interface allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the h
CVE-2026-4480 CRITICAL POC
9.0 May 26

Remote code execution in Samba's printing subsystem allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary shell commands via craft
CVE-2026-18922 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 07

Authentication bypass in 389 Directory Server (shipped as Red Hat Directory Server 11-13 and within RHEL 6-10) lets remo
CVE-2026-14544 CRITICAL
9.8 Jul 03

Remote code execution and privilege escalation in HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging and Printing) affects the hpcups print filter

CVE-2026-76578 CRITICAL
9.8 Sep 07

Unauthenticated privilege escalation in FreeIPA (Red Hat Identity Management) allows a remote attacker to gain genuine a
CVE-2026-5121 HIGH
7.5 Mar 30

Remote code execution in libarchive on 32-bit systems allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code via spe
CVE-2026-28369 CRITICAL
9.1 Mar 27

HTTP request smuggling in Undertow (the embedded web server underpinning JBoss EAP, Red Hat Data Grid, and Apache Camel

CVE-2026-28368 CRITICAL
9.1 Mar 27

HTTP request smuggling in Red Hat Undertow allows remote unauthenticated attackers to bypass front-end security controls
CVE-2026-33845 CRITICAL
9.1 Apr 30

Out-of-bounds read in the GnuTLS DTLS handshake reassembly logic lets remote unauthenticated attackers trigger an intege
CVE-2026-28367 CRITICAL
9.1 Mar 27

HTTP request smuggling in Undertow allows remote unauthenticated attackers to send `\r\r\r` as a header block terminator
CVE-2026-16526 HIGH
8.8 Jul 30

Local privilege escalation in Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 and OpenShift Containe

Same weakness CWE-787 – Out-of-bounds Write

View all
CVE-2015-3113 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2011-2462 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2012-1889 HIGH POC
8.8
CVE-2010-3333 HIGH POC
7.8
CVE-2014-1761 HIGH POC
7.8
CVE-2009-3129 HIGH POC
7.8
CVE-2021-1732 HIGH POC
7.8
CVE-2013-3346 CRITICAL POC
9.8

Same technique RCE

View all
CVE-2021-44228 CRITICAL POC
10.0
CVE-2017-7269 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2022-47966 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2012-4681 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2023-3519 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2015-5119 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2016-4117 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2015-3113 CRITICAL POC
9.8

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP7 Affected

Share

CVE-2026-18220 vulnerability details – vuln.today
Back

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy