NULL pointer dereference in GNU Binutils
CVE-2026-6845
A flaw was found in binutils, specifically within the `readelf` utility. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by tricking a user into processing a specially crafted Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) file. The exploitation of this flaw can lead to the system becoming unresponsive due to excessive resource consumption or a program crash.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.0 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.001 (3.1th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 3rd percentile — 3.1% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.001 · change: -0.000
Affected products
- GNU Binutils
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat Hardened Images — versions 2.45.1-5.2.hum1, 2.46.1-1.hum1
- Red Hat Openshift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux — versions 6.0, 7.0, 8.0
- Red Hat Hardened Images
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-6845 (vdb-entry, Vendor Advisory)
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi (issue-tracking, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory)
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:34924 (vendor-advisory)
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:39022 (vendor-advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-6845?
- CVE-2026-6845 is a medium-severity vulnerability in GNU Binutils, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 5.0/10. Published 2026-04-22.
- How severe is CVE-2026-6845?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.0 out of 10.