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CVE-2016-7510 Libdwarf Project CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7510 affects libdwarf’s read_line_table_program function and can let a remote attacker trigger an out-of-bounds read when crafted input is parsed. The practical impact is denial of service, with the NVD rating this as medium severity (CVSS 6.5) and listing availability as the primary concern.

Vendor
Libdwarf Project
Product
Libdwarf
CVSS
MEDIUM 6.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-17
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-17
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Organizations and developers that use libdwarf to parse externally supplied DWARF data, especially in automated analysis pipelines, build systems, crash processing, or file ingestion services.

Technical summary

NVD describes the issue as an out-of-bounds read in dwarf_line_table_reader_common.c, specifically read_line_table_program. The vulnerable version range in NVD ends before 2016-09-23. The assigned weakness is CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read). The CVSS vector is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating no privileges are needed, user interaction is required, and the main effect is availability loss.

Defensive priority

Medium. The bug can crash parsers that handle attacker-controlled or untrusted inputs, so it matters most wherever libdwarf is exposed to external files or ingestion workflows.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade libdwarf to 20160923 or later, or apply the vendor patch if you maintain a downstream package.
  • Review any service, tool, or pipeline that parses untrusted DWARF content and limit exposure where possible.
  • Add crash monitoring and input-validation controls around file processing paths that use libdwarf.
  • If you cannot upgrade immediately, backport the upstream or distribution patch referenced in the issue tracker.

Evidence notes

The NVD record states the flaw is an out-of-bounds read in read_line_table_program and marks CWE-125. It also shows the vulnerable version range ending before 2016-09-23. The linked SourceForge bug is tagged as a patch reference, and the Red Hat Bugzilla entry is a third-party advisory reference.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-7510 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-7510

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-7510 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-7510

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental 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.