CVE-2025-8225 in Binutils
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2025
A vulnerability was found in GNU Binutils 2.44 and classified as problematic. This issue affects the function process_debug_info of the file binutils/dwarf.c of the component DWARF Section Handler. The manipulation leads to memory leak. Attacking locally is a requirement. The identifier of the patch is e51fdff7d2e538c0e5accdd65649ac68e6e0ddd4. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2025
CVE-2025-8225 represents a memory leak vulnerability within GNU Binutils version 2.44 that resides in the DWARF Section Handler component. This flaw specifically manifests in the process_debug_info function located within binutils/dwarf.c, where improper memory management leads to resource exhaustion over time. The vulnerability requires local execution privileges to exploit, meaning an attacker must already have access to the system to leverage this weakness. The issue stems from inadequate handling of debug information structures during processing, creating a condition where allocated memory is not properly released back to the system. This memory leak can accumulate over repeated operations involving debug data processing, potentially leading to system performance degradation or complete resource exhaustion. The patch identifier e51fdff7d2e538c0e5accdd65649ac68e6e0ddd4 provides a specific fix for this memory management issue. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for resource exhaustion attacks. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation as it can be exploited to create denial of service conditions, particularly in environments where binutils is heavily utilized for debugging and development activities. The local requirement for exploitation limits the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk, especially in multi-user environments where privilege escalation might occur. Organizations using GNU Binutils 2.44 should prioritize patching this vulnerability to prevent potential exploitation that could lead to system instability or resource exhaustion attacks. The memory leak specifically affects the DWARF debugging format processing capabilities, which are fundamental to software development and debugging workflows in Unix-like systems. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in system-level tools, as even seemingly minor issues in debug information handling can create significant operational risks. The patch addresses the core memory management flaw by ensuring that all allocated debug information structures are properly deallocated after processing, preventing the accumulation of unused memory resources. Given the widespread use of GNU Binutils in development environments and system administration tools, this vulnerability represents a potential risk to software development workflows and system reliability. The local execution requirement suggests that this vulnerability is more likely to be encountered in development or testing environments where users have direct access to the system, but it still poses a significant risk to system integrity and availability.