CVE-2025-1377: Elfutils eu-strip DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1377 Overview

A denial of service vulnerability has been discovered in GNU elfutils version 0.192. This issue affects the function gelf_getsymshndx within the file strip.c of the eu-strip component. Through manipulation of specially crafted input, an attacker can trigger a denial of service condition. The vulnerability requires local access to exploit.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can cause denial of service through improper resource handling in the eu-strip utility, potentially disrupting development workflows and build processes that rely on elfutils.

Affected Products

• GNU elfutils 0.192
• elfutils_project elfutils

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-17 - CVE-2025-1377 published to NVD
• 2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1377

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release). The flaw exists in the gelf_getsymshndx function within strip.c, which is part of the eu-strip utility used for stripping symbols from ELF object files. The improper handling of resources during symbol section index processing can lead to a denial of service condition.

The eu-strip utility is commonly used in software development and build pipelines to reduce the size of executable files by removing debugging symbols. When processing malformed or specially crafted ELF files, the vulnerable function fails to properly manage resources, allowing an attacker with local access to crash the utility or cause it to become unresponsive.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper resource shutdown or release (CWE-404) in the gelf_getsymshndx function. When the function processes certain ELF file structures, it does not properly release or manage resources, leading to a denial of service condition. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when error handling paths fail to clean up allocated resources or when resource lifecycle management is incomplete.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the target system. An attacker must be able to provide a maliciously crafted ELF file as input to the eu-strip utility. When the utility attempts to process this file and calls the vulnerable gelf_getsymshndx function, the denial of service condition is triggered.

The attack scenario typically involves:

1. An attacker creates or obtains a specially crafted ELF file designed to trigger the vulnerability
2. The attacker submits this file to a build system or development environment that uses eu-strip
3. When eu-strip processes the malicious file, the gelf_getsymshndx function fails to properly handle resources
4. This results in a denial of service, disrupting the build process or development workflow

Technical details and a proof of concept are available in the Sourceware Bug Report #32673, with an attachment demonstrating the issue available at Sourceware Bug Attachment #15941.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1377

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or hangs of the eu-strip utility during build processes
• Abnormal resource consumption patterns when processing ELF files
• Build pipeline failures associated with symbol stripping operations
• Presence of unusual or malformed ELF files in build directories

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for repeated eu-strip process crashes or abnormal terminations
• Implement file integrity monitoring for ELF files in build environments
• Use process monitoring to detect abnormal resource consumption by elfutils components
• Review system logs for core dumps or segmentation faults related to eu-strip

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for build systems and development environments using elfutils
• Implement alerting on eu-strip process failures or timeouts
• Monitor for unusual patterns of ELF file submissions to build systems
• Track resource usage metrics for processes utilizing elfutils libraries

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1377

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the official patch identified by commit hash fbf1df9ca286de3323ae541973b08449f8d03aba
• Restrict access to eu-strip utility to trusted users only
• Validate ELF files before processing with elfutils components
• Consider temporarily disabling automated symbol stripping in untrusted environments

Patch Information

A patch has been developed and is available for GNU elfutils. The fix is identified by the commit hash fbf1df9ca286de3323ae541973b08449f8d03aba. Users should apply this patch to their elfutils installation or update to a version that includes this fix. For additional details, refer to the Sourceware Bug Comment #32673.

Workarounds

• Limit execution of eu-strip to trusted users and controlled environments
• Implement input validation to reject potentially malformed ELF files before processing
• Use containerization or sandboxing when running elfutils on untrusted input
• Monitor and limit resource allocation for eu-strip processes to contain potential impact

# Configuration example
# Restrict eu-strip execution to specific user groups
sudo chown root:elfutils-users /usr/bin/eu-strip
sudo chmod 750 /usr/bin/eu-strip

# Apply the security patch from source
cd elfutils-0.192
git fetch origin
git cherry-pick fbf1df9ca286de3323ae541973b08449f8d03aba
./configure && make && sudo make install