How severe is CVE-2017-7301?

CVE-2017-7301 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-7301 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-2017-7301?

CVE-2017-7301 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-7301?

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-2017-7301 published?

CVE-2017-7301 was published on 2017-03-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-7301

CVE-2017-7301 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (82nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-03-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, has an aout_link_add_symbols function in bfd/aoutx.h that has an off-by-one vulnerability because it does not carefully check the string offset. The vulnerability could lead to a GNU linker (ld) program crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-7301?: The Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, has an aout_link_add_symbols function in bfd/aoutx.h that has an off-by-one vulnerability because it does not carefully check the string offset. The vulnerability could lead to a GNU linker (ld) program crash.
How severe is CVE-2017-7301?: CVE-2017-7301 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-7301 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-2017-7301?: CVE-2017-7301 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-7301?: 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-2017-7301 published?: CVE-2017-7301 was published on 2017-03-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.28:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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