How severe is CVE-2017-7304?

CVE-2017-7304 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-2017-7304 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-2017-7304?

CVE-2017-7304 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-7304?

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-2017-7304 published?

CVE-2017-7304 was published on 2017-03-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-7304

CVE-2017-7304 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-125.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
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, is vulnerable to an invalid read (of size 8) because of missing a check (in the copy_special_section_fields function) for an invalid sh_link field before attempting to follow it. This vulnerability causes Binutils utilities like strip to crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-7304?: The Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, is vulnerable to an invalid read (of size 8) because of missing a check (in the copy_special_section_fields function) for an invalid sh_link field before attempting to follow it. This vulnerability causes Binutils utilities like strip to crash.
How severe is CVE-2017-7304?: CVE-2017-7304 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-2017-7304 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-2017-7304?: CVE-2017-7304 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-7304?: 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-2017-7304 published?: CVE-2017-7304 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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