How severe is CVE-2018-20002?

CVE-2018-20002 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-2018-20002 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-2018-20002?

CVE-2018-20002 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-20002?

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

When was CVE-2018-20002 published?

CVE-2018-20002 was published on 2018-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-20002

CVE-2018-20002 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: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (76th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-772
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2018-12-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The _bfd_generic_read_minisymbols function in syms.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31, has a memory leak via a crafted ELF file, leading to a denial of service (memory consumption), as demonstrated by nm.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20002?: The _bfd_generic_read_minisymbols function in syms.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.31, has a memory leak via a crafted ELF file, leading to a denial of service (memory consumption), as demonstrated by nm.
How severe is CVE-2018-20002?: CVE-2018-20002 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-2018-20002 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-2018-20002?: CVE-2018-20002 primarily affects Gnu Binutils. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20002?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-20002 published?: CVE-2018-20002 was published on 2018-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.31:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:vasa_provider:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:traffix_signaling_delivery_controller:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:f5:traffix_signaling_delivery_controller:4.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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