CVE-2025-1179 in Binutils
Summary
by MITRE • 02/11/2025
A vulnerability was found in GNU Binutils 2.43. It has been rated as critical. Affected by this issue is the function bfd_putl64 of the file bfd/libbfd.c of the component ld. The manipulation leads to memory corruption. The attack may be launched remotely. The complexity of an attack is rather high. The exploitation is known to be difficult. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. Upgrading to version 2.44 is able to address this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The code maintainer explains, that "[t]his bug has been fixed at some point between the 2.43 and 2.44 releases".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-1179 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within GNU Binutils version 2.43, specifically affecting the bfd_putl64 function located in bfd/libbfd.c. This issue resides within the ld component of the binutils suite, which serves as a fundamental tool for linking and manipulating object files in Unix-like systems. The flaw manifests when the function processes data that exceeds expected boundaries, leading to unpredictable memory corruption that can compromise system stability and security. The vulnerability's critical rating stems from its potential to enable remote code execution when exploited, making it particularly dangerous in environments where binutils is used for processing untrusted input.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking within the bfd_putl64 function which handles 64-bit value storage operations. When processing malformed input data, the function fails to validate buffer limits before writing data, creating opportunities for heap overflow conditions that can overwrite adjacent memory regions. This memory corruption can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code by manipulating program control flow through corrupted stack or heap data structures. The attack complexity is elevated due to the need for precise input manipulation and exploitation techniques that require deep understanding of the binary format processing internals.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability poses significant risks to system administrators and developers who rely on GNU Binutils for software compilation and linking processes. The remote exploitability means that attackers can potentially compromise systems through network-based attacks without requiring local access, making it particularly dangerous in server environments and continuous integration pipelines. The difficulty of exploitation, while providing some mitigation, does not eliminate the risk entirely as public disclosure of exploitation techniques increases the likelihood of successful attacks. The vulnerability affects systems using the affected version of binutils in compilation processes, build systems, and any software that depends on proper object file handling.
Security professionals should prioritize upgrading to GNU Binutils version 2.44, which contains the necessary patches to address this memory corruption vulnerability. The code maintainer's statement that the bug was fixed between versions 2.43 and 2.44 indicates that the fix likely involves enhanced bounds checking and proper validation of input parameters before memory operations. Organizations should conduct immediate assessment of their systems to identify any installations running version 2.43 or earlier, particularly in development environments, build servers, and continuous integration systems where the affected component may be actively used. The fix aligns with industry best practices for preventing memory corruption vulnerabilities, similar to those categorized under CWE-121 and CWE-122 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system components and implementing proper input validation mechanisms in security-critical software libraries that form the foundation of software development toolchains.