CVE-2018-17985 : What You Need to Know

A problem was identified in cp-demangle.c in GNU libiberty, which is included in GNU Binutils 2.31. The issue arises from the cplus_demangle_type function excessively utilizing the stack due to recursive calls to itself. This occurs under specific circumstances involving multiple instances of the 'P' character.

Understanding CVE-2018-17985

What is CVE-2018-17985?

An issue was discovered in cp-demangle.c in GNU libiberty, as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31. There is a stack consumption problem caused by the cplus_demangle_type function making recursive calls to itself in certain scenarios involving many 'P' characters.

The Impact of CVE-2018-17985

This vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) by consuming excessive stack space, potentially leading to a crash or system instability.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-17985

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in cp-demangle.c in GNU libiberty results from the cplus_demangle_type function's recursive calls to itself, leading to stack consumption problems.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: n/a
Vendor: n/a
Versions: n/a

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by triggering the recursive behavior of the cplus_demangle_type function under specific conditions involving multiple instances of the 'P' character.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the software vendor to address the stack consumption issue.
Monitor for any unusual stack usage patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to ensure the latest security patches are in place.
Implement stack protection mechanisms to prevent stack-based vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Check for and apply any available updates or patches from GNU Binutils or the respective software vendor to mitigate the vulnerability.