CVE-2018-16402 in elfutils
Summary
by MITRE
libelf/elf_end.c in elfutils 0.173 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (double free and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact because it tries to decompress twice.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16402 resides within the elfutils library version 0.173, specifically in the elf_end.c file which handles the cleanup and termination of elf data structures. This issue represents a critical double free vulnerability that can be exploited remotely to cause denial of service conditions or potentially lead to more severe consequences. The flaw manifests when the library attempts to decompress the same data structure multiple times, creating a scenario where memory management operations become corrupted and unpredictable. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in systems that process untrusted elf file data, as they can be triggered through malicious file uploads or network-based attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the elfutils library's decompression handling code. When processing elf files, the library performs decompression operations on data that may have already been processed or freed, leading to a double free condition where the same memory location is deallocated twice. This behavior directly violates memory safety principles and can result in heap corruption, application crashes, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the system's memory layout and the specific exploitation vector. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-415, which describes improper behavior in memory management leading to double free conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper resource management can create security weaknesses in system libraries.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16402 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it can affect systems that rely on elfutils for processing executable files or debugging information. Applications that use elfutils for parsing or analyzing elf files, including system utilities, debuggers, and security tools, become vulnerable to remote exploitation. Attackers can craft malicious elf files that trigger the double free condition when processed by vulnerable applications, potentially leading to system instability or complete application crashes. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where automated processing of elf files occurs, such as in security scanning tools, system monitoring applications, or any software that handles user-provided elf content without proper validation and sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected elfutils installations to version 0.174 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the double free condition. System administrators should also implement proper input validation and sanitization for any elf file processing workflows, ensuring that all elf content is thoroughly validated before being passed to elfutils functions. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in system libraries and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of memory handling code, particularly in security-critical components that process external data. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain updated threat intelligence regarding similar memory corruption vulnerabilities that may target the same class of issues in other software libraries.