Vulnerability in file utility - Out-of-Bounds Read and Application Crash
Summary
DSA-3072-1: file - security update. Affects file versions < 5.11-2+deb7u6. Fixed in 5.11-2+deb7u6. How to fix ↓
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Background
The file utility is a widely used tool that examines the type of data contained in a file. It is commonly used to determine the file type of unknown files or to verify the file type of known files. The utility analyzes the file's content and provides information such as the file format, encoding, and architecture. This vulnerability affects the file utility in Debian 7 (wheezy) and potentially allows attackers to cause a denial of service by supplying a specially crafted ELF file.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the file utility arises from incorrect checking of note headers in ELF files. This flaw can be exploited by an attacker to trigger an out-of-bounds read and crash the application. By supplying a specially crafted ELF file, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service. The impact of this vulnerability is limited to the file utility and does not extend to the underlying system.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
5.11-2+deb7u6
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade fileTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the fix provided by upgrading the file package.
Conclusion
The file utility in Debian 7 (wheezy) is vulnerable to an out-of-bounds read and application crash when processing specially crafted ELF files. Users are advised to upgrade their file packages to the fixed version to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for file →
FAQ
The file utility is a tool used to determine the type of data contained in a file. It analyzes the file's content and provides information such as the file format, encoding, and architecture.
ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) is a common file format used for executables, object code, shared libraries, and core dumps in Unix-like operating systems.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by supplying a specially crafted ELF file to the file utility, triggering an out-of-bounds read and causing the application to crash.
The impact of this vulnerability is limited to the file utility itself. It can lead to a denial of service, causing the application to crash, but does not have any direct impact on the underlying system.
To protect against this vulnerability, it is recommended to upgrade the file package to the fixed version provided by the distribution. For Debian 7 (wheezy), upgrade to version 5.11-2+deb7u6.
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