How severe is CVE-2017-8421?

CVE-2017-8421 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-8421 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-8421?

CVE-2017-8421 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-8421?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2017-8421 published?

CVE-2017-8421 was published on 2017-05-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-8421

CVE-2017-8421 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-772.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 7.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-772
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2017-05-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The function coff_set_alignment_hook in coffcode.h in Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, has a memory leak vulnerability which can cause memory exhaustion in objdump via a crafted PE file. Additional validation in dump_relocs_in_section in objdump.c can resolve this.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-8421?: The function coff_set_alignment_hook in coffcode.h in Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.28, has a memory leak vulnerability which can cause memory exhaustion in objdump via a crafted PE file. Additional validation in dump_relocs_in_section in objdump.c can resolve this.
How severe is CVE-2017-8421?: CVE-2017-8421 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-8421 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-8421?: CVE-2017-8421 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-8421?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-8421 published?: CVE-2017-8421 was published on 2017-05-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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