CVE-2025-69644: GNU Binutils DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-69644 Overview

A denial-of-service vulnerability has been discovered in GNU Binutils affecting the objdump utility. The vulnerability exists in the handling of DWARF location list headers when processing binary files containing malformed debug information. A logic flaw in the parsing routine can cause objdump to enter an unbounded loop, producing endless output until the process is manually interrupted. This issue allows local attackers to cause excessive resource consumption by supplying specially crafted input files to the affected utility.

Critical Impact

Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability to cause denial of service through resource exhaustion by providing malicious binary files with crafted debug information to objdump, potentially disrupting development workflows and build systems.

Affected Products

• GNU Binutils versions prior to 2.46
• Systems using vulnerable objdump utility for binary analysis
• Development and build environments relying on affected Binutils versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-06 - CVE-2025-69644 published to NVD
• 2026-03-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69644

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) and affects the objdump binary analysis tool included in GNU Binutils. The flaw resides in the DWARF debug information parsing logic, specifically in the handling of location list headers. When objdump processes a binary file containing intentionally malformed DWARF debug data, a logic error in the header validation allows the parser to enter an infinite loop condition.

The attack requires local access and user interaction, as the victim must process a malicious binary file using the objdump command. Once triggered, the vulnerability causes continuous output generation that consumes system resources until the process is manually terminated. This impacts availability without affecting confidentiality or integrity of the system.

Root Cause

The root cause is a logic flaw in the DWARF location list header parsing implementation within objdump. The code fails to properly validate certain boundary conditions when iterating through location list entries, allowing specially crafted debug information to create a condition where the parser never reaches a termination point. This results in an unbounded loop that continues processing indefinitely.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability requires local access to exploit. An attacker must craft a malicious binary file containing malformed DWARF debug information and convince a user or automated system to process it with objdump. Common attack scenarios include:

The attacker creates a binary with malformed DWARF location list headers in the debug section. When a developer or build system runs objdump against this file for disassembly or debugging purposes, the utility enters an infinite loop. The tool continues producing output and consuming CPU resources until manually killed, potentially disrupting development workflows, CI/CD pipelines, or automated security analysis tools that rely on objdump.

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Sourceware Bug Report #33639.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69644

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual CPU consumption by objdump processes that persist for extended periods
• Large or continuously growing output files from objdump operations
• Stalled or hung build processes that invoke objdump for binary analysis
• System log entries indicating abnormal resource usage by binutils utilities

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for objdump processes with abnormally long execution times or high CPU utilization
• Implement timeouts for automated processes that invoke objdump on untrusted binaries
• Audit system logs for repeated or prolonged resource consumption events associated with binary analysis tools
• Review incoming binary files for suspicious DWARF debug section characteristics before processing

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure process monitoring to alert on objdump executions exceeding reasonable duration thresholds
• Implement resource limits (CPU time, memory) for development and build environments processing external binaries
• Monitor CI/CD pipeline performance for unexpected delays in stages that perform binary analysis
• Track disk space usage in directories where objdump output may be written

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69644

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade GNU Binutils to version 2.46 or later which contains the fix for this vulnerability
• Avoid processing untrusted or externally sourced binary files with objdump until patched
• Implement process timeouts and resource limits for objdump operations
• Review and restrict access to development tools that may process untrusted binaries

Patch Information

GNU has released a fix for this vulnerability in Binutils version 2.46. The patch addresses the logic flaw in DWARF location list header handling by implementing proper boundary validation. The fix is available in the upstream repository. For details, see the Sourceware Git Commit.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading Binutils packages through their distribution's package manager or by compiling from source using the patched upstream version.

Workarounds

• Implement strict input validation for binary files before processing with objdump
• Use containerization or sandboxing with resource limits when analyzing untrusted binaries
• Set execution timeouts for objdump operations using system utilities like timeout
• Restrict access to objdump and related tools to authorized users only

# Configuration example
# Set resource limits for objdump operations on untrusted files
# Use timeout command to prevent infinite loops
timeout 60s objdump -d suspicious_binary.o

# Alternative: Use ulimit to restrict CPU time
ulimit -t 60
objdump -d suspicious_binary.o

# For CI/CD environments, implement process isolation
# Run objdump in a container with resource constraints
docker run --rm --cpus="0.5" --memory="256m" \
  -v $(pwd):/work binutils:2.46 \
  objdump -d /work/binary_to_analyze