Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
GNU Binutils may read beyond allocated memory when its BFD linker processes a malicious XCOFF object file. A user or automated build must process the file. The result could expose process memory or crash the linker, disrupting builds or analysis workflows.
Executive priority
Treat as a normal-priority remediation for exposed build or analysis systems, escalating where untrusted object files are routinely processed or confidentiality is sensitive. Immediate emergency response is not supported by the supplied evidence, but affected legacy RHEL 6 deployments deserve attention because support and update availability may vary.
Technical view
CVE-2026-3442 is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds heap read in the GNU Binutils BFD linker. It has CVSS 3.1 score 6.1 (local access, low complexity, no privileges, user interaction). Reported impacts are high confidentiality loss and low availability loss, with no integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in developer, build, packaging, or file-analysis environments that process untrusted XCOFF objects. The bundle marks RHEL 6 binutils and two Red Hat Hardened Images binutils-main versions as affected. Listed RHEL 7, 8, 9, and 10 packages are unaffected.
Exploitation context
Exploitation requires convincing a user or workflow to process a specially crafted XCOFF object file. The bundle does not establish remote, autonomous, or active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. No public exploit evidence is provided.
Researcher notes
The description uses “heap-based buffer overflow” while characterizing the operation as an out-of-bounds read and mapping it to CWE-125. Expected outcomes are memory disclosure or process crash, not code execution. Exact fixed package versions and exploit prevalence are not present in the bundle; consult the cited vendor advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory affected RHEL 6 binutils and Red Hat Hardened Images deployments.
- Consult the applicable Red Hat CVE page and RHSA advisories for supported updates.
- Apply vendor-provided updates according to Red Hat guidance and change procedures.
- Until remediated, prevent affected linkers from processing untrusted XCOFF object files.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed product and package versions against Red Hat's affected and unaffected status.
- Verify applicable RHSA updates are installed on affected supported systems.
- Recheck rebuilt Hardened Images to ensure vulnerable binutils-main versions are absent.
- Review build and analysis workflows for ingestion of externally supplied XCOFF 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-125: 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 lookupContainer behavior lookup
The affected technology mentions containers, so container-specific ATT&CK technique review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-3442 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
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.
SSVC decision data
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:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L1.84.2redhatVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.1MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- Source timelineredhat
Made public.
- Source timelineredhat
Reported to Red Hat.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- RHSA-2026:33527CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHSA-2026:39022CVE reference, redhat · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-3442CVE reference, redhat · vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2443828CVE reference, redhat · issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT
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.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.