HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-18605
MEDIUM

CVE-2018-18605

CWE-125Published: October 23, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A heap-based buffer over-read issue was discovered in the function sec_merge_hash_lookup in merge.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31, because _bfd_add_merge_section mishandles section merges when size is not a multiple of entsize. A specially crafted ELF allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service, as demonstrated by ld.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-18605 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
gnu1 product(s)
binutils
netapp1 product(s)
data ontap
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105754
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190307-0003/
ADVISORYhttps://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23804
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105754
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190307-0003/
ADVISORYhttps://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23804

All References (14)

→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00072.html
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00008.html
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105754Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190307-0003/Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23804Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=ab419ddbb2cdd17ca83618990f2cacf904ce1d61
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4336-1/
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00072.html
→
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00008.html
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105754Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190307-0003/Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=23804Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git%3Bh=ab419ddbb2cdd17ca83618990f2cacf904ce1d61
→
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4336-1/

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-18605
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-125
CISA KEVNo
Affected3 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 23, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-125)

CVE-2021-21777
10.0
CVE-2021-41556
10.0
CVE-2017-14451
10.0
CVE-2013-0767
10.0
CVE-2009-2523
10.0
CVE-2026-34987
9.9

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-18605 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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