medium
5
CWE
399
Advisory Published
CVE Published
Updated

CVE-2014-3538

First published: Thu May 15 2014(Updated: )

file before 5.19 does not properly restrict the amount of data read during a regex search, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted file that triggers backtracking during processing of an awk rule. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-7345.

Credit: secalert@redhat.com

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
redhat/file<5.19
5.19
redhat/php<5.5.16
5.5.16
redhat/php<5.4.32
5.4.32
Christos Zoulas File 1<=5.18
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.00
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.01
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.02
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.03
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.04
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.05
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.06
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.07
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.08
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.09
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.10
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.11
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.12
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.13
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.14
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.15
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.16
Christos Zoulas File 1=5.17
PHP>=5.4.0<5.4.32
PHP>=5.5.0<5.5.16
Debian Linux=7.0
Debian Linux=8.0

Remedy

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpuoct2017-3236626.html

Remedy

https://github.com/file/file/commit/4a284c89d6ef11aca34da65da7d673050a5ea320

Remedy

https://github.com/file/file/commit/69a5a43b3b71f53b0577f41264a073f495799610

Remedy

https://github.com/file/file/commit/71a8b6c0d758acb0f73e2e51421a711b5e9d6668

Remedy

https://github.com/file/file/commit/74cafd7de9ec99a14f4480927580e501c8f852c3

Remedy

https://github.com/file/file/commit/758e066df72fb1ac08d2eea91ddc3973d259e991

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Read MoreStart Free Trial

Reference Links

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2014-3538?

    CVE-2014-3538 is considered a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential to cause denial of service through excessive CPU consumption.

  • How do I fix CVE-2014-3538?

    To fix CVE-2014-3538, upgrade to file version 5.19 or later.

  • What software is affected by CVE-2014-3538?

    CVE-2014-3538 affects versions of the 'file' command prior to 5.19 and specific versions of PHP up to 5.5.16 and 5.4.32.

  • What is the impact of exploiting CVE-2014-3538?

    Exploitation of CVE-2014-3538 can lead to denial of service by consuming substantial CPU resources.

  • Who is the author of the software affected by CVE-2014-3538?

    CVE-2014-3538 pertains to the 'file' utility developed by Christos Zoulas.

Company

Resources

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203