How severe is CVE-2021-3549?

CVE-2021-3549 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-3549 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-3549?

CVE-2021-3549 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3549?

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-2021-3549 published?

CVE-2021-3549 was published on 2021-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-3549

CVE-2021-3549 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. 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 7.1)
CVSS v2: 5.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (58th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Gnu Binutils
Published: 2021-05-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An out of bounds flaw was found in GNU binutils objdump utility version 2.36. An attacker could use this flaw and pass a large section to avr_elf32_load_records_from_section() probably resulting in a crash or in some cases memory corruption. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to integrity as well as system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3549?: An out of bounds flaw was found in GNU binutils objdump utility version 2.36. An attacker could use this flaw and pass a large section to avr_elf32_load_records_from_section() probably resulting in a crash or in some cases memory corruption. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to integrity as well as system availability.
How severe is CVE-2021-3549?: CVE-2021-3549 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-3549 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-3549?: CVE-2021-3549 affects Gnu Binutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-3549?: 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-2021-3549 published?: CVE-2021-3549 was published on 2021-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:binutils:2.36:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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