CVE-2018-7642 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A denial of service vulnerability exists in the swap_std_reloc_in function within aoutx.h in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library, also known as libbfd. This vulnerability is found in the GNU Binutils 2.30 distribution. Exploitation of this vulnerability can be achieved remotely by remote attackers who provide a specially crafted ELF file. As a result of this vulnerability, there is a NULL pointer dereference, causing the application to crash. This has been demonstrated using the objcopy utility.

Understanding CVE-2018-7642

This CVE entry describes a denial of service vulnerability in the GNU Binutils library.

What is CVE-2018-7642?

The vulnerability in the swap_std_reloc_in function in the BFD library allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by exploiting a NULL pointer dereference in the application.

The Impact of CVE-2018-7642

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to crash applications by providing a specially crafted ELF file.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-7642

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The swap_std_reloc_in function in aoutx.h in the BFD library allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted ELF file.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Version: GNU Binutils 2.30

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability remotely by providing a specially crafted ELF file.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the software vendor.
Avoid opening untrusted ELF files.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions.
Implement network security measures to prevent remote exploitation.

Patching and Updates

Check for security advisories from the software vendor and apply patches promptly.