How severe is CVE-2017-14938?

CVE-2017-14938 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-14938 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-14938?

CVE-2017-14938 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-14938?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2017-14938 published?

CVE-2017-14938 was published on 2017-09-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-14938

CVE-2017-14938 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-770.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-770
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-09-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

_bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables in elf.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory allocation and application crash) via a crafted ELF file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-14938?: _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables in elf.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory allocation and application crash) via a crafted ELF file.
How severe is CVE-2017-14938?: CVE-2017-14938 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-14938 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-14938?: CVE-2017-14938 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-14938?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-14938 published?: CVE-2017-14938 was published on 2017-09-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.29:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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