CVE-2018-12641 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A problem has been found in the arm_pt function in cplus-dem.c in GNU libiberty, which is included in GNU Binutils 2.30. This issue may lead to Stack Exhaustion in the C++ demangling functions provided by libiberty, resulting from recursive stack frames such as demangle_arm_hp_template, demangle_class_name, demangle_fund_type, do_type, do_arg, demangle_args, and demangle_nested_args, potentially occurring during the execution of nm-new.

Understanding CVE-2018-12641

This CVE entry describes a vulnerability in GNU libiberty, affecting GNU Binutils 2.30.

What is CVE-2018-12641?

CVE-2018-12641 is a vulnerability in the arm_pt function in cplus-dem.c in GNU libiberty, leading to Stack Exhaustion in the C++ demangling functions provided by libiberty.

The Impact of CVE-2018-12641

The vulnerability may allow attackers to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition by exploiting the recursive stack frames, potentially affecting the execution of nm-new.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-12641

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises in the arm_pt function in cplus-dem.c in GNU libiberty, causing Stack Exhaustion in the C++ demangling functions due to recursive stack frames.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: GNU Binutils 2.30
Affected Vendor: GNU
Affected Version: Not Applicable

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by triggering the recursive stack frames, leading to Stack Exhaustion during the execution of nm-new.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-12641 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the vendor promptly.
Monitor for any unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement proper input validation and error handling mechanisms in software development.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the affected systems are updated with the latest patches released by GNU to address the CVE-2018-12641 vulnerability.