CVE-2012-3509 in libiberty
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in the (1) _objalloc_alloc function in objalloc.c and (2) objalloc_alloc macro in include/objalloc.h in GNU libiberty, as used by binutils 2.22, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors related to the "addition of CHUNK_HEADER_SIZE to the length," which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3509 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within GNU libiberty library components that forms part of the broader binutils 2.22 suite. This vulnerability manifests in two distinct locations within the memory allocation system where integer overflows occur during the calculation of buffer sizes. The primary impact stems from the _objalloc_alloc function in objalloc.c and the objalloc_alloc macro in include/objalloc.h, both of which handle memory allocation for object management within the library. These components are fundamental to the operation of binutils tools that process binary files and perform various operations on object code, making them attractive targets for exploitation due to their widespread use in development and security tools.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of integer arithmetic when calculating memory requirements for buffer allocations. Specifically, the flaw occurs when the code attempts to add CHUNK_HEADER_SIZE to an existing length value, creating an integer overflow condition that results in a heap-based buffer overflow. This overflow condition arises because the addition operation exceeds the maximum representable value for the integer type being used, causing the value to wrap around to a much smaller number. The resulting miscalculated buffer size leads to memory corruption when the system attempts to allocate or access memory regions beyond the intended boundaries, ultimately causing the application to crash or behave unpredictably.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-3509 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks depending on the context of exploitation. When remote attackers can trigger this vulnerability through malformed input files or network data processed by binutils tools, they can cause cascading failures in systems that rely on these utilities for processing binary data. The vulnerability affects systems where binutils 2.22 is installed and used, particularly in development environments, security analysis tools, and automated build systems that process potentially malicious binary files. The heap-based nature of the buffer overflow provides attackers with opportunities to potentially manipulate memory layout and execute arbitrary code, though the primary documented impact remains denial of service through system crashes.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-190, which describes integer overflow and underflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service. The integer overflow occurs during memory management operations that should be protected against arithmetic overflows, indicating a fundamental flaw in input validation and memory allocation safety. The attack vector typically involves sending specially crafted data to binutils tools that process binary files, such as objdump, nm, or readelf, which can trigger the overflow condition when parsing malformed object files or executable binaries. Organizations using affected versions of binutils should prioritize patching to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability can be leveraged in automated attack scenarios where systems process untrusted binary data without proper sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-3509 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to upgrade to patched versions of binutils and GNU libiberty that address the integer overflow conditions. System administrators should implement strict input validation for any binary file processing, particularly in automated environments where untrusted data might be processed. Additional defensive measures include deploying runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to make exploitation more difficult if attackers attempt to leverage this vulnerability for code execution. Regular security auditing of system components and maintaining up-to-date vulnerability databases will help identify similar issues in other software libraries that may exhibit comparable memory management flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems that process binary data to potentially malicious inputs.