How severe is CVE-2017-8396?

CVE-2017-8396 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-2017-8396 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-8396?

CVE-2017-8396 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-8396?

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-2017-8396 published?

CVE-2017-8396 was published on 2017-05-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-8396

CVE-2017-8396 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% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-05-01
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 1 because the existing reloc offset range tests didn't catch small negative offsets less than the size of the reloc field. This vulnerability causes programs that conduct an analysis of binary programs using the libbfd library, such as objdump, to crash.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-8396?: The Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, is vulnerable to an invalid read of size 1 because the existing reloc offset range tests didn't catch small negative offsets less than the size of the reloc field. This vulnerability causes programs that conduct an analysis of binary programs using the libbfd library, such as objdump, to crash.
How severe is CVE-2017-8396?: CVE-2017-8396 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-2017-8396 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-8396?: CVE-2017-8396 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-8396?: 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-2017-8396 published?: CVE-2017-8396 was published on 2017-05-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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