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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7511 Libdwarf Project CVE debrief

CVE-2016-7511 affects libdwarf 20160613 and involves an integer overflow in dwarf_die_deliv.c. According to NVD, a crafted file can trigger a denial of service by causing a crash. The issue is rated medium severity and is most relevant anywhere libdwarf is used to parse untrusted input.

Vendor
Libdwarf Project
Product
CVE-2016-7511
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
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

Security teams and developers who use libdwarf directly or indirectly, especially in tools or services that open attacker-controlled or externally supplied files. Also relevant to teams that ingest debug-symbol or DWARF-containing artifacts as part of build, analysis, or triage workflows.

Technical summary

NVD describes the weakness as an integer overflow (CWE-190) in dwarf_die_deliv.c in libdwarf 20160613. The documented impact is denial of service via a crafted file. The CVSS vector provided by NVD is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, which indicates a crash-oriented availability impact with user interaction required.

Defensive priority

Medium. The vulnerability is not listed as code execution, but it can still disrupt file-processing workflows and affect any environment that opens untrusted DWARF-containing content. Prioritize if libdwarf is exposed to external inputs or used in high-availability parsing pipelines.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Identify deployments that include libdwarf 20160613 or the affected libdwarf project package.
  • Apply the vendor fix or upgrade to a non-vulnerable libdwarf release if one is available through your distribution or upstream project.
  • Treat files processed by libdwarf as untrusted input and limit where crafted files can reach parsing workflows.
  • Run file-processing components with least privilege and consider sandboxing or process isolation to reduce the impact of parser crashes.
  • Monitor for repeated crashes or parsing errors in libdwarf-based tools and services, especially when handling externally supplied files.

Evidence notes

The supplied NVD record states: "Integer overflow in the dwarf_die_deliv.c in libdwarf 20160613 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted file." NVD maps the weakness to CWE-190 and lists a medium-severity CVSS vector with availability impact. The record also links to an issue-tracking entry and a third-party vendor/advisory page for additional context.

Official resources

NVD published the CVE record on 2017-02-17 and later modified it on 2026-05-13. Use the published date for issue timing; the later modified date reflects record maintenance, not original disclosure.