HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-20284
MEDIUM

CVE-2021-20284

CWE-119Published: March 26, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A flaw was found in GNU Binutils 2.35.1, where there is a heap-based buffer overflow in _bfd_elf_slurp_secondary_reloc_section in elf.c due to the number of symbols not calculated correctly. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-20284 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.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

gnu1 product(s)
binutils
netapp2 product(s)
cloud backupontap select deploy administration utility
Source: NVD CPE · 3 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

ADVISORYhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937784
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210521-0010/
ADVISORYhttps://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=26931
ADVISORYhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937784
ADVISORYhttps://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30
ADVISORYhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210521-0010/
ADVISORYhttps://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=26931

All References (8)

→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937784Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210521-0010/Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=26931Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1937784Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210521-0010/Third Party Advisory
→
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=26931Exploit · Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-20284
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedMar 26, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

CVE-2008-4562
10.0
CVE-2007-3338
10.0
CVE-2007-2522
10.0
CVE-2007-2582
10.0
CVE-2007-2831
10.0
CVE-2007-3454
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-20284 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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