How severe is CVE-2017-8397?

CVE-2017-8397 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-2017-8397 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-8397?

CVE-2017-8397 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-8397?

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-2017-8397 published?

CVE-2017-8397 was published on 2017-05-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-8397

CVE-2017-8397 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
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 and an invalid write of size 1 during processing of a corrupt binary containing reloc(s) with negative addresses. 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-2017-8397?: The Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, is vulnerable to an invalid read of size 1 and an invalid write of size 1 during processing of a corrupt binary containing reloc(s) with negative addresses. This vulnerability causes programs that conduct an analysis of binary programs using the libbfd library, such as objdump, to crash.
How severe is CVE-2017-8397?: CVE-2017-8397 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-2017-8397 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-8397?: CVE-2017-8397 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-8397?: 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-2017-8397 published?: CVE-2017-8397 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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