CVE-2025-1352: Elfutils Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1352 Overview

A memory corruption vulnerability has been identified in GNU elfutils version 0.192. This vulnerability affects the __libdw_thread_tail function within the libdw_alloc.c library, specifically in the eu-readelf component. Manipulation of the argument w leads to memory corruption. While the attack can be initiated remotely over the network, the complexity of exploitation is high, making successful attacks difficult to execute.

Critical Impact

Memory corruption in GNU elfutils could allow attackers to compromise systems processing ELF binary files, potentially leading to denial of service or unexpected application behavior.

Affected Products

• GNU elfutils 0.192
• elfutils_project elfutils

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-16 - CVE-2025-1352 published to NVD
• 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1352

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer). The flaw exists in the __libdw_thread_tail function located in libdw_alloc.c, a component of the eu-readelf utility. When processing specially crafted input, improper handling of the w argument can result in memory corruption conditions.

The exploitation requires network access, though the attack complexity is high and user interaction is required. An attacker would need to craft a malicious ELF file and convince a user to process it with the vulnerable eu-readelf component. Successful exploitation could result in limited impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper memory buffer handling within the __libdw_thread_tail function. The function fails to properly validate or restrict operations when processing the w argument, allowing memory corruption to occur when processing malformed input. This is a classic example of improper bounds checking in memory operations, classified under CWE-119.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, meaning an attacker can deliver a malicious payload remotely. However, exploitation is not trivial:

1. The attacker must craft a specially malformed ELF file that triggers the memory corruption
2. The victim must be convinced to process this malicious file using eu-readelf
3. The complexity of crafting a successful exploit is high, making widespread exploitation unlikely

The exploit has been disclosed publicly and additional technical details can be found in the Sourceware Bug Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1352

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or segmentation faults when running eu-readelf on ELF files
• Abnormal memory usage patterns in processes using the elfutils library
• Core dumps generated by elfutils-related utilities processing suspicious files

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for crashes in eu-readelf and related elfutils utilities, particularly when processing untrusted ELF files
• Implement file integrity monitoring on systems that regularly process ELF binaries
• Use application crash monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts against elfutils components

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure logging for any abnormal termination of elfutils-related processes
• Monitor network traffic for delivery of suspicious ELF files to systems running vulnerable elfutils versions
• Implement anomaly detection for memory-related errors in development and build environments

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1352

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the available patch identified by commit hash 2636426a091bd6c6f7f02e49ab20d4cdc6bfc753
• Avoid processing ELF files from untrusted sources until the patch is applied
• Update to a patched version of GNU elfutils when available

Patch Information

A patch has been developed to address this vulnerability. The fix is identified by commit hash 2636426a091bd6c6f7f02e49ab20d4cdc6bfc753. Organizations should apply this patch to remediate the memory corruption issue in the __libdw_thread_tail function. Additional details about the patch can be found in the Sourceware Bug Comment.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to eu-readelf and other elfutils utilities to trusted users only
• Implement input validation to filter or quarantine suspicious ELF files before processing
• Run elfutils utilities in sandboxed or containerized environments to limit potential impact

# Example: Run eu-readelf in a restricted environment
# Use firejail or similar sandboxing tool when processing untrusted ELF files
firejail --private --net=none eu-readelf -a untrusted_binary.elf