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CVE Record

CVE-2021-33294: In elfutils 0.183, an infinite loop was found in the function handle_symtab in readelf.c .Which allows atta...

In elfutils 0.183, an infinite loop was found in the function handle_symtab in readelf.c .Which allows attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via crafted file.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-33294 is a denial-of-service issue in elfutils 0.183. A crafted file can make readelf enter an infinite loop, potentially hanging analysis jobs or build/security tooling that processes untrusted ELF files.

Executive priority

Treat as operational resilience work, not an emergency breach indicator. Prioritize internet-facing or multi-tenant file-analysis services first, then CI and internal tooling.

Technical view

The source describes an infinite loop in handle_symtab in readelf.c in elfutils 0.183. The trigger is a crafted file. The provided metadata does not include CVSS, CWE, complete affected CPEs, or confirmed fixed versions.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely where elfutils readelf processes untrusted or user-supplied binaries, including CI pipelines, malware analysis, package inspection, and security scanning workflows.

Exploitation context

The sources support denial of service through a crafted file. They do not show active exploitation, KEV listing, remote code execution, privilege escalation, or public exploit weaponization.

Researcher notes

The record is sparse: severity, CWE, CPEs, and fixed-version data are absent. The strongest supported claim is crafted-file denial of service in readelf handle_symtab for elfutils 0.183.

Mitigation direction

  • Check current elfutils vendor guidance for fixed versions.
  • Update elfutils packages where a vendor fix is available.
  • Avoid processing untrusted ELF files in critical shared services.
  • Apply timeouts or resource limits around automated readelf jobs.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems and containers with elfutils installed.
  • Identify workflows that run readelf on untrusted files.
  • Check whether deployed versions include elfutils 0.183.
  • Review job logs for repeated hangs during ELF parsing.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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

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CVE-2021-33294 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.