How severe is CVE-2017-15020?

CVE-2017-15020 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-2017-15020 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-15020?

CVE-2017-15020 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-15020?

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-2017-15020 published?

CVE-2017-15020 was published on 2017-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-15020

CVE-2017-15020 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (80th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-10-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

dwarf1.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, mishandles pointers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted ELF file, related to parse_die and parse_line_table, as demonstrated by a parse_die heap-based buffer over-read.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-15020?: dwarf1.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, mishandles pointers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted ELF file, related to parse_die and parse_line_table, as demonstrated by a parse_die heap-based buffer over-read.
How severe is CVE-2017-15020?: CVE-2017-15020 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-2017-15020 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-15020?: CVE-2017-15020 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-15020?: 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-2017-15020 published?: CVE-2017-15020 was published on 2017-10-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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