Security Vulnerabilities
Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element:
1. Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive)
2. Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call
3. Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging
The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state for standalone object files. Red Hat builds binutils with --enable-plugins and --enable-lto, confirming the vulnerable code path is compiled in and reachable.
An attacker who can supply a crafted object or archive file to a build process using LTO-enabled linking could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (linker crash via segmentation fault). Arbitrary code execution is theoretically possible through heap manipulation but is substantially mitigated by hardening measures including stack protector, FORTIFY_SOURCE, ASLR, and PIE.
The attack surface is limited to build-time environments — the linker is a development tool not exposed in production runtime. The most realistic exploitation scenario is a supply chain attack introducing a crafted object file as a build dependency in CI/CD pipelines or development environments.
CVSS Score
5.5
EPSS Score
0.001
Published
2026-08-12
A repository publisher without delete permission may modify protected package content under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
6.5
EPSS Score
0.002
Published
2026-08-12
A bundle writer may create misleading release promotion information under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
4.3
EPSS Score
0.002
Published
2026-08-12
A party with write access to stored session data may affect JFrog Artifactory under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
6.6
EPSS Score
0.003
Published
2026-08-12
A user with access to a valid SAML response may impersonate another user under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
7.5
EPSS Score
0.002
Published
2026-08-12
An unauthenticated user may bypass authentication under specific cache conditions.
CVSS Score
5.3
EPSS Score
0.004
Published
2026-08-12
A Project Resource Manager may gain broader administrative privileges under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
7.2
EPSS Score
0.003
Published
2026-08-12
An unauthenticated user may access restricted Artifactory content when a credentialed remote repository is configured in a specific way.
CVSS Score
5.3
EPSS Score
0.002
Published
2026-08-12
A repository reader with cache-deploy permission may access content outside a configured upstream path under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
5.3
EPSS Score
0.003
Published
2026-08-12
An authenticated user may write files outside the intended Artifactory work directory under specific conditions.
CVSS Score
4.3
EPSS Score
0.003
Published
2026-08-12