How severe is CVE-2017-15996?

CVE-2017-15996 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-2017-15996 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-15996?

CVE-2017-15996 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-15996?

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-2017-15996 published?

CVE-2017-15996 was published on 2017-10-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-15996

CVE-2017-15996 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (82nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-10-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

elfcomm.c in readelf in GNU Binutils 2.29 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory allocation) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted ELF file that triggers a "buffer overflow on fuzzed archive header," related to an uninitialized variable, an improper conditional jump, and the get_archive_member_name, process_archive_index_and_symbols, and setup_archive functions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-15996?: elfcomm.c in readelf in GNU Binutils 2.29 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory allocation) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted ELF file that triggers a "buffer overflow on fuzzed archive header," related to an uninitialized variable, an improper conditional jump, and the get_archive_member_name, process_archive_index_and_symbols, and setup_archive functions.
How severe is CVE-2017-15996?: CVE-2017-15996 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-2017-15996 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-15996?: CVE-2017-15996 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-15996?: 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-2017-15996 published?: CVE-2017-15996 was published on 2017-10-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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