How severe is CVE-2018-18607?

CVE-2018-18607 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-2018-18607 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-18607?

CVE-2018-18607 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-18607?

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

When was CVE-2018-18607 published?

CVE-2018-18607 was published on 2018-10-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-18607

CVE-2018-18607 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2018-10-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in elf_link_input_bfd in elflink.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31. There is a NULL pointer dereference in elf_link_input_bfd when used for finding STT_TLS symbols without any TLS section. A specially crafted ELF allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service, as demonstrated by ld.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-18607?: An issue was discovered in elf_link_input_bfd in elflink.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31. There is a NULL pointer dereference in elf_link_input_bfd when used for finding STT_TLS symbols without any TLS section. A specially crafted ELF allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service, as demonstrated by ld.
How severe is CVE-2018-18607?: CVE-2018-18607 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-2018-18607 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-18607?: CVE-2018-18607 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-18607?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-18607 published?: CVE-2018-18607 was published on 2018-10-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:netapp:data_ontap:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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