CVE-2025-69652 in Binutils
Summary
by MITRE • 03/06/2026
GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an abort (SIGABRT) when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed DWARF abbrev or debug information. Due to incomplete state cleanup in process_debug_info(), an invalid debug_info_p state may propagate into DWARF attribute parsing routines. When certain malformed attributes result in an unexpected data length of zero, byte_get_little_endian() triggers a fatal abort. No evidence of memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-69652 affects GNU Binutils version 2.46 and earlier, specifically within the readelf utility that processes ELF binary files. This issue stems from inadequate error handling and state management during the parsing of DWARF debugging information within ELF files. The flaw manifests when processing specially crafted ELF binaries containing malformed DWARF abbreviations or debug information structures. The root cause lies in the process_debug_info() function which fails to properly clean up its internal state, allowing an invalid debug_info_p state to persist and propagate into subsequent DWARF attribute parsing operations.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs through a specific code path where malformed DWARF attributes trigger unexpected conditions in the byte_get_little_endian() function. When the parsing routine encounters certain malformed attributes that result in a data length of zero, the function fails to handle this edge case gracefully and instead generates a SIGABRT signal causing the application to terminate abruptly. This behavior represents a classic denial of service scenario where legitimate system operations are disrupted through the exploitation of improper error handling mechanisms. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-248 as an unchecked exception and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.100 for network denial of service attacks. The absence of memory corruption or code execution capabilities limits the attack surface but does not diminish the operational impact on systems relying on readelf for binary analysis.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-69652 extends beyond simple application crashes as it affects systems that depend on GNU Binutils for software development, debugging, and security analysis tasks. Organizations using automated build systems, continuous integration pipelines, or security scanning tools that invoke readelf may experience service interruptions when processing maliciously crafted binaries. The vulnerability particularly affects development environments where readelf is frequently used for examining binary files, as well as security research platforms that analyze potentially malicious software samples. System administrators and security teams must consider the cascading effects of such denial of service conditions, especially in automated environments where multiple processes may be simultaneously affected. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and error handling in security-critical utilities, as even benign-looking malformed input can cause complete application termination. Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to patched versions of GNU Binutils, implementing proper input sanitization, and establishing monitoring for abnormal application termination events. The issue also highlights the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases in debugging information parsers, particularly in tools that process untrusted binary data from external sources.