CVE-2018-9996 in libiberty
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in cplus-dem.c in GNU libiberty, as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.30. Stack Exhaustion occurs in the C++ demangling functions provided by libiberty, and there are recursive stack frames: demangle_template_value_parm, demangle_integral_value, and demangle_expression.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9996 represents a critical stack exhaustion flaw within GNU libiberty's C++ demangling functionality, specifically affecting GNU Binutils 2.30. This issue manifests in the cplus-dem.c file where recursive stack frames are created during the demangling process of C++ symbols, creating a pathway for attackers to exploit memory exhaustion conditions. The vulnerability stems from the recursive nature of functions such as demangle_template_value_parm, demangle_integral_value, and demangle_expression which can be triggered through malformed input during symbol resolution processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent recursive calling patterns within the demangling functions to consume stack space rapidly. When processing specially crafted C++ symbols, these functions can recurse deeply into the call stack without proper bounds checking or recursion depth limiting mechanisms. This recursive behavior is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered by any application that utilizes libiberty's demangling capabilities, including debuggers, profilers, and binary analysis tools that encounter malformed symbol tables. The flaw operates at the core of symbol name resolution processes where C++ compiler-generated mangled names are converted back into human-readable form, making it a fundamental component of binary analysis infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. An attacker who can control the input to demangling functions could cause stack overflow conditions that might lead to application crashes or, in some cases, could be exploited to execute arbitrary code depending on the system's memory layout and stack protection mechanisms. The vulnerability affects any system utilizing GNU Binutils 2.30 or earlier versions where libiberty is employed for symbol demangling operations. This includes development environments, debugging tools, binary analysis frameworks, and security applications that depend on proper symbol resolution for their functionality.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-9996 should focus on immediate version upgrades to GNU Binutils 2.31 or later where the recursive stack exhaustion has been addressed through proper recursion depth limiting and stack management. Organizations should implement input validation measures to filter potentially malicious symbol data before processing, particularly in applications that handle untrusted binary files or symbol tables. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-674, which describes "Uncontrolled Recursion" and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" in scenarios where attackers might leverage such vulnerabilities in binary analysis toolchains. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring for unusual stack usage patterns in applications that utilize libiberty's demangling functions, as this could serve as an early detection mechanism for exploitation attempts.