CVE-2026-19582 in Binutils
Summary
by MITRE • 08/20/2026
In binutils 2.46.1 and prior versions, a victim who opens a crafted PE file using binutils could execute arbitrary code unknowningly via a stack buffer overflow out of bounds write.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2026
The vulnerability identified in GNU Binutils version 2.46.1 and earlier represents a critical security flaw within the Portable Executable (PE) format parser, specifically affecting tools such as objdump that are commonly used for inspecting binary files. This issue manifests as an out-of-bounds write resulting from a stack-based buffer overflow, which occurs when the application processes a maliciously crafted PE file. The root cause lies in insufficient validation of input data structures during the parsing phase, allowing an attacker to supply malformed headers or section tables that exceed expected memory boundaries. When binutils attempts to read and interpret these fields without proper bounds checking, it writes data beyond the allocated stack buffer, corrupting adjacent memory regions including return addresses or function pointers stored on the call stack.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes a stack-based buffer overflow where local variables are written past their intended boundaries due to inadequate input validation. The exploitation mechanism relies on the victim opening the crafted file using standard binutils commands like objdump or readelf in an interactive session. Because these tools often run with user privileges and may be invoked as part of automated build pipelines, security analysis workflows, or forensic investigations, the attack surface is broad. An attacker can craft a PE binary where specific fields, such as those describing section headers or import tables, are manipulated to trigger the overflow condition during parsing. The resulting memory corruption allows for arbitrary code execution by overwriting control flow data on the stack, effectively hijacking the program's execution path.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly in environments where binary analysis tools are used frequently and with untrusted inputs. If successfully exploited, an attacker can achieve remote or local code execution depending on how the tool is invoked. In interactive scenarios, this could lead to immediate compromise of the user’s system if appropriate sandboxing measures are not in place. Furthermore, because binutils components are often integrated into larger development ecosystems and continuous integration systems, automated processing of untrusted binaries poses a significant risk. The lack of explicit bounds checking means that even seemingly innocuous operations like dumping symbols or disassembling code can serve as vectors for exploitation. This aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers the execution phase where vulnerabilities in applications are leveraged to run malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve upgrading to patched versions of binutils that address this specific parsing flaw through rigorous input validation and bounds checking mechanisms. Until an upgrade is feasible, organizations should implement strict sandboxing for any tools processing untrusted binaries, ensuring that potential exploits do not gain access to the host system’s critical resources. Additionally, adopting defense-in-depth practices such as enabling stack canaries, Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) can mitigate the likelihood of successful exploitation by making memory corruption harder to leverage for code execution. Security teams should also audit their workflows to minimize exposure to untrusted PE files when using binutils utilities, treating all external binary inputs as potentially malicious until verified through secure analysis environments.