MEDIUM CVSS 6.3
Published: 2021-03-26

CVE-2021-20197

gnu binutils Security Advisory (CVE-2021-20197)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-20197 impacting gnu binutils. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.3 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ranlib. When these utilities are run as a privileged user (presumably as part of a script updating binaries across different users), an unprivileged user can trick these utilities into getting ownership of arbitrary files through a symlink.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gnu / binutils
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-59

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-20197 impacting gnu binutils.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-20197.yaml
id: cve-2021-20197

info:
  name: gnu binutils - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-20197 affecting gnu binutils.
    Evaluation: There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ranlib. When ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-20197
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 6.3
    cve-id: CVE-2021-20197
    cwe-id: CWE-59
  tags: cve,cve-2021-20197,gnu,binutils,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "binutils"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-20197.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-20197
# Target: gnu binutils | CVSS: 6.3 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-20197 (gnu binutils)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against gnu binutils scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-20197.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-20197
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install binutils 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade binutils 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update binutils

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i binutils 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i binutils

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-20197 in gnu binutils?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gnu binutils packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-20197?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-20197?

CVE-2021-20197 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.3 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.3
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-20197
Weakness CWE-59
Vendor gnu
Product binutils
Published 2021-03-26
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N