CVE-2018-18520: Buffer Overflow

Published Oct 19, 2018
·
Updated

A flaw was found in elfutils through v0.174. An Invalid Memory Address Dereference exists in the function elfend in libelf. Although eu-size is intended to support ar files inside ar files, handlear in size.c closes the outer ar file before handling all inner entries. The vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) with a crafted ELF file.

References: https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/showbug.cgi?id=23787 https://sourceware.org/ml/elfutils-devel/2018-q4/msg00057.html

Upstream Patch: https://sourceware.org/git/?p=elfutils.git;a=commit;h=22d2d082d57a7470fadc0eae67179553f4919209

Other sources

An Invalid Memory Address Dereference exists in the function elfend in libelf in elfutils through v0.174. Although eu-size is intended to support ar files inside ar files, handlear in size.c closes the outer ar file before handling all inner entries. The vulnerability allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) with a crafted ELF file.

Launchpad

Affected Software

12 affected componentsFixes available
Elfutils Project Elfutils<=0.174
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
openSUSE Leap=15.0
openSUSE Leap=15.1
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
debian/elfutils
0.183-10.188-2.10.192-40.194-1

Event History

Oct 19, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:00 PM
Description
Nov 5, 2018
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:29 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·10:57 PM
Description
Feb 23, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:56 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:57 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-18520?

CVE-2018-18520 is classified as a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential impact on system stability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2018-18520?

To fix CVE-2018-18520, upgrade the elfutils package to version 0.183-1, 0.188-2.1, or 0.192-4 or later.

3

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2018-18520?

CVE-2018-18520 is an Invalid Memory Address Dereference vulnerability affecting the elf_end function in libelf.

4

Which systems are affected by CVE-2018-18520?

CVE-2018-18520 affects various versions of the elfutils package on Debian, Ubuntu, and OpenSUSE.

5

What are the potential consequences of CVE-2018-18520?

Exploiting CVE-2018-18520 may lead to application crashes or unexpected behavior due to memory manipulation.

Contact

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