CVE-2025-1147: GNU Binutils Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1147 Overview

A buffer overflow vulnerability has been discovered in GNU Binutils 2.43, specifically affecting the nm component. The vulnerability exists in the __sanitizer::internal_strlen function within the file binutils/nm.c. Manipulation of the const argument can trigger a buffer overflow condition, potentially leading to a denial of service.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to cause limited availability impact through a specially crafted input, though exploitation complexity is high and requires user interaction.

Affected Products

• GNU Binutils 2.43

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-10 - CVE-2025-1147 published to NVD
• 2025-04-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1147

Vulnerability Analysis

This buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-119, CWE-120) affects the nm utility in GNU Binutils, which is used to examine binary files and display information about symbols contained therein. The flaw resides in the __sanitizer::internal_strlen function located in binutils/nm.c.

The vulnerability is triggered through improper bounds checking when processing the const argument. While the attack can be initiated remotely, successful exploitation is considered difficult due to the high attack complexity involved. User interaction is required for the attack to succeed, and the potential impact is limited to availability (denial of service) rather than confidentiality or integrity breaches.

Root Cause

The root cause is a classic buffer overflow condition (CWE-120: Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input) combined with improper restriction of operations within memory buffer bounds (CWE-119). The __sanitizer::internal_strlen function fails to properly validate input boundaries before performing memory operations, allowing an attacker to write beyond allocated buffer space when processing maliciously crafted input.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, meaning an attacker can potentially deliver a malicious payload remotely. However, the exploitation scenario requires user interaction—specifically, a user must process a maliciously crafted file using the nm utility. The attack complexity is high, making reliable exploitation difficult.

An attacker would need to craft a specially malformed binary file that, when analyzed by the nm tool, triggers the buffer overflow condition in the internal_strlen function. The proof of concept demonstrating this vulnerability has been disclosed to the public via the Sourceware Bug Report #32556.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1147

Indicators of Compromise

• Abnormal crashes or segmentation faults when running nm on binary files
• Unexpected memory access violations in binutils/nm.c functions
• Core dumps containing references to __sanitizer::internal_strlen

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for unusual nm process crashes or abnormal termination signals
• Implement file integrity monitoring on systems where GNU Binutils is used for development or analysis
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect buffer overflow attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable AddressSanitizer (ASan) when building Binutils in development environments to catch memory safety issues
• Review system logs for repeated nm utility crashes that could indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement centralized logging for development workstations using Binutils to identify suspicious patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1147

Immediate Actions Required

• Update GNU Binutils to a patched version when available from the vendor
• Avoid processing untrusted binary files with the nm utility until patched
• Consider restricting access to the nm binary on multi-user systems
• Review the Sourceware Bug Report for additional mitigation guidance

Patch Information

As of the last modification date (2025-04-04), users should monitor the GNU Project Website and the Sourceware Bug Report #32556 for official patch releases. NetApp has also released a Security Advisory NTAP-20250404-0003 addressing this vulnerability in their products.

Workarounds

• Only process binary files from trusted sources with the nm utility
• Implement sandboxing or containerization when analyzing potentially malicious binaries
• Use alternative symbol examination tools temporarily while awaiting a patch
• Consider compiling Binutils with memory safety features enabled (e.g., stack canaries, FORTIFY_SOURCE)

# Build Binutils with additional security hardening flags
export CFLAGS="-fstack-protector-strong -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
export LDFLAGS="-Wl,-z,relro,-z,now"
./configure --prefix=/usr/local
make