CVE-2016-4488 in libiberty
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in libiberty allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation fault and crash) via a crafted binary, related to "ktypevec."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2020
The CVE-2016-4488 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the libiberty library, a component widely utilized in various software development tools and compilers including gcc and binutils. This vulnerability specifically manifests in the handling of binary data structures, particularly within the ktypevec functionality that processes type information in compiled binaries. The flaw occurs when the library fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation sequences, creating conditions where freed memory regions are accessed after their intended lifecycle has ended.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a remote attacker to craft a malicious binary file that triggers the specific code path involving ktypevec processing. When the vulnerable libiberty component encounters such malformed input, it attempts to access memory that has already been freed, leading to segmentation faults and application crashes. This memory management error stems from improper reference counting or null pointer checks within the library's internal data structures, creating a classic use-after-free condition that falls under the CWE-416 category for use-after-free vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in memory safety practices within the library's implementation.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2016-4488 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially compromise the stability of systems that rely on libiberty for processing binary data. Applications such as compilers, debuggers, and binary analysis tools that incorporate this library become vulnerable to crashes when processing untrusted binary inputs, which could be exploited in automated attack scenarios. The vulnerability affects systems where libiberty is used for parsing or analyzing binary files, including development environments, security analysis tools, and automated build systems. This creates a significant risk for environments where binary file processing is a core function, as the crash conditions can be triggered through legitimate file processing workflows.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected software components that utilize libiberty, particularly gcc and binutils distributions. System administrators should prioritize updating their toolchains to versions that contain the memory management fixes for the ktypevec processing code. Additionally, implementing input validation measures and sandboxing mechanisms for binary file processing can help reduce the attack surface. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, while the underlying memory corruption represents a foundational security weakness that aligns with the broader category of memory safety vulnerabilities. Organizations should conduct thorough inventory assessments to identify all systems using vulnerable versions of libiberty and implement monitoring for potential exploitation attempts.