CVE-2023-25585Public exploit

Local crash via uninitialized file-table entries

Published Sep 14, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Use of an uninitialized variable in GNU Binutils allows local users to crash a utility by processing a crafted VMS Alpha file. In bfd/vms-alpha.c, new_module and parse_module allocate or expand module->file_table without clearing unused entries, so a later filename-pointer read can dereference indeterminate data. The affected VMS Alpha backend must process attacker-controlled input with user interaction; the documented consequence is a process crash, not system-wide denial of service.

CVSS severity4.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use of an uninitialized variable in GNU Binutils allows local users to crash a utility by processing a crafted VMS Alpha file. In bfd/vms-alpha.c, new_module and parse_module allocate or expand module->file_table without clearing unused entries, so a later filename-pointer read can dereference indeterminate data. The affected VMS Alpha backend must process attacker-controlled input with user interaction; the documented consequence is a process crash, not system-wide denial of service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-25585
Published
Sep 14, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Classifications
CWE-457, CWE-908, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
The GnuPG Project · GNU BinutilsAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.7Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-457Use of Uninitialized Variable
CWE-908Use of Uninitialized Resource
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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