CVE-2017-7209 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2017-7209 affecting GNU Binutils 2.28. Understand the vulnerability, its impact, affected systems, exploitation, and mitigation steps to secure your systems.
In the GNU Binutils 2.28, a vulnerability exists in the readelf program that can lead to a program crash when attempting to read section contents in a corrupted binary due to accessing a NULL pointer.
Understanding CVE-2017-7209
What is CVE-2017-7209?
The CVE-2017-7209 vulnerability is caused by the dump_section_as_bytes function in readelf in GNU Binutils 2.28, which accesses a NULL pointer while reading section contents in a corrupt binary, resulting in a program crash.
The Impact of CVE-2017-7209
This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the affected program.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-7209
Vulnerability Description
The dump_section_as_bytes function in readelf in GNU Binutils 2.28 accesses a NULL pointer while reading section contents in a corrupt binary, leading to a program crash.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Affected Version: GNU Binutils 2.28
- Other versions may also be affected
Exploitation Mechanism
- Attacker crafts a corrupted binary file
- Exploits the vulnerability to trigger a program crash
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply patches provided by the vendor
- Avoid opening untrusted binary files
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update software and libraries
- Conduct security audits and code reviews
Patching and Updates
- Check for updates from the GNU Binutils project
- Apply security patches promptly