Denial-of-Service Vulnerability in elfutils: Excessive Memory Allocation Risk
Summary
ALPINE-CVE-2019-7148: An attempted excessive memory allocation was discovered in the function read_long_names in elf_begin.c in libelf in elfutils 0.174. Affects elfutils versions < 0.176-r0. Fixed in 0.176-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
elfutils is a collection of utilities and libraries for handling ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) files, which are commonly used in Unix-like operating systems. It provides tools for manipulating and inspecting ELF files, making it essential for developers and system administrators. However, a vulnerability has been identified in elfutils that could allow remote attackers to exploit excessive memory allocation, potentially leading to denial-of-service conditions.
Vulnerability Detail
An attempted excessive memory allocation was discovered in the function read_long_names in elf_begin.c within the libelf component of elfutils version 0.174. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft specific ELF input that triggers an out-of-memory exception, resulting in denial-of-service. Although maintainers suggest this may not be a significant issue, it raises concerns about system stability and reliability when processing malformed ELF files.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
0.176-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade elfutilsTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a workaround, you can set the ASAN_OPTIONS environment variable to avoid the warning caused by AddressSanitizer (ASAN). Use the following command: 'export ASAN_OPTIONS=allocator_may_return_null=1'. This may help mitigate the effects of the vulnerability during testing.
Conclusion
The elfutils package has a vulnerability that allows for denial-of-service through excessive memory allocation. It is crucial to update to the patched version to mitigate risks. Users can also utilize workarounds and check their applications for vulnerabilities using Vulert.
See every vulnerability recorded for elfutils →
FAQ
The CVSS score of this vulnerability is 6.5, indicating a moderate severity level.
You can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
The vulnerability affects elfutils versions prior to 0.176-r0 across multiple Alpine Linux versions.
The primary impact is a denial-of-service condition, where the application may crash or become unresponsive due to excessive memory allocation.
While the vulnerability primarily leads to denial-of-service, there is no direct indication of data loss; however, system instability could indirectly affect data integrity.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for elfutils.
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