CVE-2017-9778: GNU Debugger (GDB) 8.0 and earlier fails to detect a negative length field in a DWARF section

Q: How do I fix CVE-2017-9778?

gdb: upgrade to newer than 8.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2017-9778 being exploited?

CVE-2017-9778 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2017-9778 affect?

CVE-2017-9778 affects gdb. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). GNU Debugger (GDB) 8.0 and earlier fails to detect a negative length field in a DWARF section. A malformed section in an ELF binary or a core file can cause GDB to repeatedly allocate memory until a process limit is reached. This can, for e

Q: How urgent is CVE-2017-9778?

Priority 36/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Routine

MEDIUM 5.5UPGRADE

CVE-2017-9778 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting gdb. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

GNU Debugger (GDB) 8.0 and earlier fails to detect a negative length field in a DWARF section. A malformed section in an ELF binary or a core file can cause GDB to repeatedly allocate memory until a process limit is reached. This can, for example, impede efforts to analyze malware with GDB.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	1.1% (top 34%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-20, CWE-770
Published	2017-06-21
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: gnu

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2017-06-21 07:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:28 UTCUpdated Record last modified

gnu gdb UPGRADE

Affected: <= 8.0

Fixed in: newer than 8.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy gdb || rpm -q gdb || gdb --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 8.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade gdb

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade gdb

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2017-9778?

gdb: upgrade to newer than 8.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2017-9778 being exploited?

CVE-2017-9778 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2017-9778 affect?

CVE-2017-9778 affects gdb. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). GNU Debugger (GDB) 8.0 and earlier fails to detect a negative length field in a DWARF section. A malformed section in an ELF binary or a core file can cause GDB to repeatedly allocate memory until a process limit is reached. This can, for e

How urgent is CVE-2017-9778?

Priority 36/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2023-39128 MEDIUM 5.5 DOWNGRADE GNU gdb (GDB) 13.0.50.20220805-git was discovered to contain a stack overflow via the function ada_decode at /
CVE-2019-1010180 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE MITIGATE GNU gdb All versions is affected by: Buffer Overflow - Out of bound memory access
CVE-2023-39130 MEDIUM 5.5 DOWNGRADE GNU gdb (GDB) 13.0.50.20220805-git was discovered to contain a heap buffer overflow via the function pe_as16()
CVE-2023-39129 MEDIUM 5.5 DOWNGRADE GNU gdb (GDB) 13.0.50.20220805-git was discovered to contain a heap use after free via the function add_pe_exp

References

← Back to latest CVEs