---
title: "CVE-2017-15023\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-15023?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2017-15023

Publication date 5 October 2017

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**5.5 · Medium**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-15023?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

read\_formatted\_entries in dwarf2.c in the Binary File Descriptor (BFD)
library (aka libbfd), as distributed in GNU Binutils 2.29, does not
properly validate the format count, which allows remote attackers to cause
a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and application crash) via a
crafted ELF file, related to concat\_filename.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-15023?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| binutils | 19.10 eoan | Not affected |
| 19.04 disco | Not affected |
| 18.10 cosmic | Not affected |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected |
| 17.10 artful | Ignored end of life |
| 17.04 zesty | Ignored end of life |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not affected |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-15023?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

incomplete fix resulted in CVE-2017-15939

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| binutils | * Upstream:   <https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=binutils-gdb.git;h=c361faae8d964db951b7100cada4dcdc983df1bf> |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

5.5 · Medium

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | Required |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 5.5 · Medium |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-15023)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-15023)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2017-15023)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-15023)

### Other references

* <https://blogs.gentoo.org/ago/2017/10/03/binutils-null-pointer-dereference-in-concat_filename-dwarf2-c/>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-15023>