CVE-2025-1376: GNU elfutils eu-strip DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1376 Overview

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in GNU elfutils 0.192. This vulnerability affects the function elf_strptr in the library /libelf/elf_strptr.c of the component eu-strip. The manipulation leads to denial of service. The attack can be launched locally with high complexity, making exploitation difficult. Although no known exploits are available, the exploitation code has been made public.

Critical Impact
Denial of Service vulnerability affecting GNU elfutils

Affected Products

elfutils_project elfutils

Discovery Timeline

2025-02-17 - CVE CVE-2025-1376 published to NVD
2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1376

Vulnerability Analysis

This denial of service (DoS) vulnerability in GNU elfutils arises from improper handling in the elf_strptr function, which can lead to a program crash when mangled ELF files are processed.

Root Cause

The issue stems from a boundary condition error within the elf_strptr function.

Attack Vector

Local access is required to exploit this vulnerability, with the attacker needing specific privileges to execute the malformed ELF file.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
#include <libelf.h>

int main() {
    // Initialize ELF and create a malformed ELF
    Elf *elf = elf_begin(fd, ELF_C_READ, NULL);
    char *str = elf_strptr(elf, section, offset);
    // Manipulation causing denial of service
    if (str == NULL) {
        // Handle error
    }
    elf_end(elf);
    return 0;
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1376

Indicators of Compromise

Application crashes when processing ELF files
Unexpected termination of eu-strip
Log file entries with segmentation faults

Detection Strategies

Monitor application logs for abnormal termination messages and segmentation faults related to eu-strip processing ELF files. Use file integrity monitoring to detect changes in critical libraries like /libelf/elf_strptr.c.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement comprehensive logging around the usage of elfutils, particularly focusing on the elf_strptr function. Use a SIEM to correlate and alert on ELF-related anomalies.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1376

Immediate Actions Required

Avoid processing ELF files from untrusted sources
Restrict execution permissions for utilities using elfutils
Increase logging verbosity to catch suspicious activities

Patch Information

Apply the patch identified by the hash b16f441cca0a4841050e3215a9f120a6d8aea918, available from the official GNU elfutils repository.

Workarounds

As a temporary measure, disable the eu-strip functionality for non-critical applications or sandbox its execution environment to minimize impact in case of a crash.

bash

# Configuration example
chmod 750 /usr/bin/eu-strip