CVE-2006-2362

Vulnerability

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the getsym function in tekhex.c of libbfd in GNU Binutils versions prior to 20060423. The flaw occurs when processing a crafted Tektronix Hex Format (TekHex) record where the length character is not a valid hexadecimal character, leading to a buffer overflow. This affects tools using the library, such as GNU strings [1][2][3][4].

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by providing a specially crafted file with an invalid length character in a TekHex record. The attacker must be able to supply the file to a vulnerable application (e.g., GNU strings). No authentication is required, but the attack is context-dependent and relies on user interaction to process the malicious file.

Impact

A successful exploit results in a denial of service (application crash) due to the buffer overflow. Under certain conditions, arbitrary code execution may be possible, although the primary identified impact is a crash. The attack can lead to a compromise of the affected system's availability and potentially its integrity and confidentiality.

Mitigation

The vulnerability is fixed in GNU Binutils versions on or after 20060423. Users should upgrade to a patched version. If an immediate upgrade is not possible, avoid processing untrusted files with affected tools as a workaround. No CISA KEV listing has been identified.