Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-22545 affects Google BinDiff, a reverse-engineering plugin. A malicious IDA Pro .i64 file can trigger memory corruption when loaded, potentially allowing code execution on the analyst workstation. This is mainly a risk to security research, malware analysis, and reverse-engineering environments that open files from outside sources.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for teams that use BinDiff on files from external or untrusted sources. This is not a broad internet-facing issue, but compromise of a researcher workstation can expose sensitive tools, samples, credentials, and investigative data.
Technical view
The issue is a CWE-416 use-after-free in BinDiff. The CVE says a crafted IDA Pro .i64 file can cause the plugin to load an invalid memory offset, allowing instruction pointer control and arbitrary code execution. CVSS 3.1 is 7.5 with local attack vector, high complexity, low privileges, user interaction required, and high CIA impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on analyst workstations running BinDiff with IDA Pro, especially where teams inspect third-party, customer, malware, or unknown .i64 files. The affected version range is not specified in the source bundle, so inventory must verify installed BinDiff versions against vendor guidance.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. Exploitation requires a crafted .i64 file and user interaction to load it in the affected workflow. The impact can still be serious because successful exploitation may execute code in a sensitive analysis environment.
Researcher notes
The source bundle is sparse: it identifies the bug class, malicious file type, impact, CVSS vector, and upgrade recommendation, but not precise vulnerable versions or detailed patch metadata. Treat BinDiff version verification and vendor guidance review as required before closing exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade to BinDiff 7 as recommended by the CVE description.
- Check zynamics or Google guidance for exact affected and fixed version details.
- Avoid opening untrusted .i64 files on analyst workstations until upgraded.
- Isolate reverse-engineering environments from sensitive corporate systems.
- Apply endpoint monitoring and least privilege on analysis workstations.
Validation and detection
- Inventory BinDiff installations and record versions on all analyst systems.
- Identify workflows that receive or open external IDA Pro .i64 files.
- Confirm BinDiff 7 or later is deployed where vendor guidance requires it.
- Review security controls around malware analysis and reverse-engineering workstations.
- Check whether any vulnerable systems handled untrusted .i64 files.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-22545 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H0.86Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.5HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.zynamics.com/bindiff/manual/index.html#nyyyy7CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.