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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8681 Libdwarf Project CVE debrief

CVE-2016-8681 is a denial-of-service issue in libdwarf 20161001 and earlier. Per the NVD record, a crafted file processed by dwarfdump can trigger an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125), with the CVSS vector indicating the realistic attack path is user-assisted handling of attacker-controlled input.

Vendor
Libdwarf Project
Product
CVE-2016-8681
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-15
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-15
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Teams that ship, package, or use libdwarf/dwarfdump, especially build, debugging, symbol-analysis, or file-inspection workflows that open untrusted DWARF/object files.

Technical summary

The NVD entry classifies this issue as CWE-125 and rates it CVSS 3.1 5.5/Medium with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. The vulnerable scope is libdwarf_project:libdwarf up to and including 2016-10-01. The record describes _dwarf_get_abbrev_for_code in dwarf_util.c as reachable through dwarfdump when it processes a crafted file, leading to an out-of-bounds read and denial of service. Because user interaction is required, risk is highest where users routinely open untrusted files in affected tooling.

Defensive priority

Medium. This is not a KEV-listed issue in the supplied data, but it can still disrupt developer and analysis workflows when untrusted files are processed by affected libdwarf builds.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade libdwarf to a version newer than 2016-10-01 wherever dwarfdump is used.
  • Treat DWARF/object files from external or unknown sources as untrusted inputs.
  • Run dwarfdump and similar analysis tools in a constrained environment when they must handle untrusted files.
  • Inventory packaged libdwarf versions across hosts, build images, and developer workstations.
  • Review downstream vendor advisories and patches referenced by the NVD record to confirm the fixed build in your environment.

Evidence notes

This debrief follows the supplied NVD record and CVE metadata: CVE-2016-8681 was published on 2017-02-15 and last modified on 2026-05-13. The NVD record lists the affected product as libdwarf_project:libdwarf with a vulnerable end version of 2016-10-01, assigns CWE-125, and provides references to Openwall, SecurityFocus, a Gentoo blog post, and a Red Hat Bugzilla issue. The supplied metadata also contains a wording mismatch between the general remote-attacker description and the CVSS vector, so the summary emphasizes the NVD vector and the user-assisted file-processing path.

Official resources

Publicly disclosed in the CVE record on 2017-02-15. The NVD record was last modified on 2026-05-13. The NVD references include advisories and discussion from October 2016.