CVE-2016-5031 Libdwarf Project CVE debrief

Who should care

Teams that build, distribute, or embed libdwarf; maintainers of tools that parse DWARF/debug information; and operators whose systems process untrusted files produced by external parties.

Technical summary

NVD describes the flaw as an out-of-bounds read in print_frame_inst_bytes, classified as CWE-125. The vulnerable CPE range covers libdwarf versions before 2016-09-23. NVD’s CVSS vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, which indicates a denial-of-service impact with user interaction required in the assessed scenario.

Defensive priority

Medium priority. This is a crash/availability issue rather than a code-execution flaw, but it matters anywhere libdwarf processes untrusted input or is used in automated analysis pipelines.

Recommended defensive actions

• Update libdwarf to a release at or after 2016-09-23.
• Inventory products and internal tools that bundle or statically link libdwarf.
• Restrict or sandbox parsing of untrusted files where feasible.
• Add regression tests for malformed DWARF inputs and monitor for parser crashes.
• If immediate upgrading is not possible, reduce exposure by limiting which files are accepted from untrusted sources.

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description, CVSS vector, and CWE come from NVD. NVD lists libdwarf as vulnerable before 2016-09-23 and cites OSS-security references dated 2016-05-24 and 2016-05-25, plus a third-party advisory at prevanders.net. The published CVE date used here is 2017-02-17; the 2026 modified date reflects later metadata updates, not a new issue date.

Official resources