CVE-2016-5044 Libdwarf Project CVE debrief

Who should care

Teams that ship, embed, or depend on libdwarf, especially tools and services that parse untrusted or externally supplied DWARF/ELF debug data. Security, build, packaging, and SAST/DAST owners should confirm whether any deployed components include vulnerable libdwarf versions.

Technical summary

The vulnerable condition is in WRITE_UNALIGNED within dwarf_elf_access.c. A crafted DWARF section can trigger an out-of-bounds write, leading to process termination. The NVD record classifies the weakness as CWE-787 and lists affected libdwarf versions prior to 2016-09-23.

Defensive priority

High

Recommended defensive actions

• Identify all products, build pipelines, and tools that include libdwarf or statically bundle it.
• Upgrade libdwarf to a version at or after 2016-09-23, or otherwise to a vendor-fixed release.
• Treat DWARF/ELF inputs from untrusted sources as hostile; avoid processing them in high-privilege contexts.
• Add file validation and fuzz testing around debug-symbol parsing paths to catch memory-safety regressions.
• If immediate upgrading is not possible, limit exposure by restricting who can submit or upload DWARF-containing files.

Evidence notes

The CVE description states the flaw is in WRITE_UNALIGNED in dwarf_elf_access.c and that crafted DWARF sections can cause an out-of-bounds write and crash. The NVD record classifies it as CWE-787 and lists the vulnerable version range as ending before 2016-09-23. Reference links include an oss-security mailing list patch discussion, an exploit-related mailing list entry, and a third-party advisory page.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.