How severe is CVE-2018-19931?

CVE-2018-19931 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-19931 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (73rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-19931?

CVE-2018-19931 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-19931?

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-2018-19931 published?

CVE-2018-19931 was published on 2018-12-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-19931

CVE-2018-19931 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (73rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2018-12-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils through 2.31. There is a heap-based buffer overflow in bfd_elf32_swap_phdr_in in elfcode.h because the number of program headers is not restricted.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-19931?: An issue was discovered in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils through 2.31. There is a heap-based buffer overflow in bfd_elf32_swap_phdr_in in elfcode.h because the number of program headers is not restricted.
How severe is CVE-2018-19931?: CVE-2018-19931 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-19931 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (73rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-19931?: CVE-2018-19931 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-19931?: 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-2018-19931 published?: CVE-2018-19931 was published on 2018-12-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:vasa_provider:*:*:*:*:*:clustered_data_ontap:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*

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