How severe is CVE-2017-12450?

CVE-2017-12450 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-12450 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-12450?

CVE-2017-12450 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12450?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2017-12450 published?

CVE-2017-12450 was published on 2017-08-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-12450

CVE-2017-12450 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-787.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-08-04
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The alpha_vms_object_p function in bfd/vms-alpha.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29 and earlier, allows remote attackers to cause an out of bounds heap write and possibly achieve code execution via a crafted vms alpha file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-12450?: The alpha_vms_object_p function in bfd/vms-alpha.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29 and earlier, allows remote attackers to cause an out of bounds heap write and possibly achieve code execution via a crafted vms alpha file.
How severe is CVE-2017-12450?: CVE-2017-12450 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-12450 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-12450?: CVE-2017-12450 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-12450?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-12450 published?: CVE-2017-12450 was published on 2017-08-04 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=21813

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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