CVE-2026-3441: GNU Binutils out-of-bounds read in BFD linker

CVE-2026-3441 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.1 · Published 2026-03-16

GNU Binutils is a collection of binary tools used by developers to create and manage software programs. A security flaw in its linker component could allow an attacker to access sensitive information or cause the software to crash. To exploit this, an attacker would need to trick a user into processing a specially crafted malicious file, potentially leading to data exposure or a disruption of development workflows.

Technologies: Gnu Binutils. Vendors: Gnu.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-3441 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-3441 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-3441?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.1, published 16 March 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Gnu Binutils 2.45.1-5.1.hum1.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-3441?
A patch was published on 2026-06-30: Red Hat released security update RHSA-2026:33527 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-3441 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-3441?
Check whether you run Gnu Binutils at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Technical details

A heap-based buffer overflow, specifically an out-of-bounds read, exists in the GNU Binutils BFD linker. The vulnerability is located in the 'xcoff_link_add_symbols' function within 'bfd/xcofflink.c'. It is caused by an improper validation check of the 'x_scnlen' value, which results in an out-of-bounds access on the 'csects' array. An attacker can exploit this by convincing a user to process a specially crafted XCOFF object file using the 'ld' linker. Successful exploitation can lead to the disclosure of sensitive memory contents or an application-level denial of service (crash). Red Hat has released updates for affected Hardened Images to address this and related vulnerabilities.

Affected products

  • GNU Binutils 2.45.1-5.1.hum1
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 affected
  • Red Hat Hardened Images affected

Timeline

  • 2026-03-02: disclosed: Initial report in Red Hat Bugzilla
  • 2026-03-16: advisory: NVD publication date
  • 2026-06-30: patched: Red Hat released security update RHSA-2026:33527

References

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