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LibdwarfApplication · Libdwarf Project

CVE-2017-9052

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2017-05-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue, also known as DW201703-006, was discovered in libdwarf 2017-03-21. A heap-based buffer over-read in dwarf_formsdata() is due to a failure to check a pointer for being in bounds (in a few places in this function) and a failure in a check in dwarf_attr_list().

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Heap-based buffer over-read vulnerability in libdwarf's dwarf_formsdata() function due to missing bounds checking on pointers, allowing remote attackers to read sensitive heap memory or cause denial of service by crafting malicious DWARF debugging data.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of libdwarf (post-2017-03-21) that adds proper pointer bounds validation in dwarf_formsdata() and dwarf_attr_list() functions.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
LibdwarfApplication
Affected:= 2017-03-21

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify libdwarf version
    Run 'dwarfdump -V' or 'dwarfdump --version' to display the libdwarf version. If dwarfdump is not available, check the shared library with 'ldd /path/to/executable | grep dwarf' and then 'objdump -p /path/to/libdwarf.so | grep version' or check the package manager (dpkg -l | grep libdwarf, rpm -qa | grep libdwarf).
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2017-03-21 (the specific commit date).
  2. Verify dwarf_formsdata usage
    Search application binaries or libraries that link against libdwarf by running 'ldd <binary> | grep dwarf' or 'nm <binary> | grep dwarf_formsdata' to see if the vulnerable function is referenced.
    Affected if The application links against libdwarf 2017-03-21 and calls dwarf_formsdata() on untrusted DWARF debugging data.
  3. Assess data source trust
    Identify if the system processes DWARF debugging data from external or untrusted sources such as compiled binaries, crash dumps, or debugging files from third parties.
    Affected if Untrusted or attacker-controlled DWARF data is being parsed by a tool using the affected libdwarf version.

A system is affected only if libdwarf version 2017-03-21 is installed AND applications process DWARF debugging data from potentially untrusted sources using the dwarf_formsdata() function.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of libdwarf (post-2017-03-21) that adds proper pointer bounds validation in dwarf_formsdata() and dwarf_attr_list() functions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest stable libdwarf release (post-2017-03-21)

  1. 1. Identify all applications and systems that link against the vulnerable libdwarf library (version 2017-03-21)
  2. 2. Download the latest stable release of libdwarf from the official source (dwarf.tuxline.net or associated distribution repositories)
  3. 3. Compile and install the new libdwarf version following standard build procedures (typically ./configure, make, make install)
  4. 4. Rebuild any applications that were linked against the old library to ensure they use the updated version
  5. 5. Verify the installed libdwarf version matches the latest stable release and no longer contains the vulnerable dwarf_formsdata() code path
  6. 6. Test the rebuilt applications to ensure functionality remains intact after the library update
Caveat Minor: Standard library upgrade risk applies - test applications to ensure compatibility with newer libdwarf release

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Libdwarf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,580
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-9052 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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