CVE-2025-5278
MediumCVSS 4.4Exploitation Probability (EPSS)
Low risk22th percentile - higher than 22% of all known CVEs
Summary
In GNU Coreutils, the begfield() function in the sort utility is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. A crafted command using the traditional key format may access memory outside the allocated buffer.
Risk Assessment
Malicious input could cause a program crash or leak sensitive data from memory.
Recommendation
Update GNU Coreutils to a patched version or avoid using the traditional key format in the sort utility.
Other vulnerabilities in GNU Coreutils
See all- CVE-2014-9471High
The parse_datetime function in GNU coreutils allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted date string.
- CVE-2026-56392Medium
In GNU coreutils unexpand, a heap-based buffer overflow occurs due to an integer overflow during buffer allocation when processing large -t values. This can lead to out-of-bounds heap write and potentially achieve a heap write primitive.
- CVE-2026-56391Medium
In the GNU coreutils uniq utility, an out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists due to incorrect handling of multibyte input when the -w (--check-chars) option is used. The find_field() function miscalculates byte length by repeatedly processing a fixed pointer instead of advancing through the input, resulting in an inflated length value. This incorrect length is later used in a memcmp operation, causing reads beyond the allocated buffer when processing crafted multibyte input, leading to a crash and potential adjacent heap memory exposure.
Original NVD description (English source)
A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.
Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS