CVE-2017-16831 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2017-16831, a flaw in the BFD library of GNU Binutils 2.29.1 that allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by exploiting an integer overflow or causing excessive memory allocation.
CVE-2017-16831 was published on November 15, 2017, and affects the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library in GNU Binutils 2.29.1. The vulnerability in the coffgen.c file allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by exploiting an integer overflow or causing excessive memory allocation.
Understanding CVE-2017-16831
This CVE entry describes a flaw in the BFD library that can be exploited remotely to disrupt the application's normal operation.
What is CVE-2017-16831?
The vulnerability in coffgen.c within the BFD library of GNU Binutils 2.29.1 arises from inadequate validation of the symbol count. This oversight enables attackers to remotely execute a denial-of-service attack by triggering an integer overflow or causing excessive memory allocation.
The Impact of CVE-2017-16831
The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a denial of service by crashing the application or causing excessive memory allocation. Additionally, there may be other unspecified impacts resulting from this flaw.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-16831
This section provides more in-depth technical details about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The flaw in coffgen.c within the BFD library allows remote attackers to disrupt the application's functionality by exploiting an integer overflow or causing excessive memory allocation.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Not applicable
- Vendor: Not applicable
- Version: Not applicable
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by manipulating the symbol count, triggering an integer overflow, and crashing the application or causing excessive memory allocation.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2017-16831 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply security patches provided by the vendor promptly.
- Monitor for any unusual system behavior that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update software and libraries to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network security measures to prevent remote attacks.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that the affected systems are updated with the latest patches and security fixes to address the CVE-2017-16831 vulnerability.