Skip to main content
No exploitation reportedFix available

CVE-2025-5278

Coreutils: heap buffer under-read in gnu coreutils sort via key specification

No exploitation reported by the sources we read.

  • Published2025-05-27
  • WeaknessCWE-121

Am I affected?

With a domain, we read the version its public headers and pages expose. A distribution build can carry the fix under an older number.

Description

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.

Timeline

dates in UTC
  1. 2025-05-2720:52CVE publishedCNA

Versions per branch

Products declared by the CNA40 products

As redhat, the CNA that assigned this CVE, declared them in the CVE record; versions as written.

34 more products in the CVE record.

Source: the CNA record (CVE Program), © The MITRE Corporation,CVE Terms of UseCVE recordupdated 2026-11-06

Distribution builds and vendor advisories

Packages from OSV.dev and products from the vendors' CSAF advisories.

version not verifiedVersions not verified: read as OSV.dev and the vendors publish them, not checked against each vendor's release list.

Packages

  • coreutilsUbuntu:26.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 9.7-3ubuntu2.1
  • coreutilsUbuntu:25.10all versions · no fixed version listed
  • coreutilsUbuntu:24.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 9.4-3ubuntu6.3
  • coreutilsUbuntu:22.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 8.32-4.1ubuntu1.4
  • coreutilsUbuntu:20.04:LTSall versions · no fixed version listed
  • coreutilsUbuntu:18.04:LTSall versions · no fixed version listed
  • coreutilsUbuntu:16.04:LTSall versions · no fixed version listed
  • coreutilsUbuntu:14.04:LTSall versions · no fixed version listed

57 more package ranges on OSV.dev

Vendor advisories

  • CVE-2025-5278 Red Hat Product Security148 products fixed · 6 known affected

    coreutils: Heap Buffer Under-Read in GNU Coreutils sort via Key Specification

    coreutils as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · coreutils-libs as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · coreutils.src as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 · +3 more

  • RHSA-2026:82888 Red Hat Product Security1 product fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.17.2

  • RHSA-2026:82857 Red Hat Product Security1 product fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2

  • RHSA-2026:82372 Red Hat Product Security4 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2

  • RHSA-2026:82354 Red Hat Product Security4 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2

  • RHSA-2026:82347 Red Hat Product Security8 products fixed

    Red Hat Security Advisory: cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift 1.18.2

14 more advisories

Full record on NVD

Fix

  1. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:82888 · 1 productBefore applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. The steps to apply the upgraded images are different depending on the installation plan approval policy you used when installing the cert-manager Operator for Red Hat OpenShift. - If t…
  2. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:69964 · 21 productsFor details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
  3. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:58981 · 3 productsPlease consult the RHUI Technology Preview Release Notes at https://access.redhat.com/articles/7141172 for instructions on how to use this image set.
  4. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:50205 · 8 productsFor details on how to apply this update, refer to: https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/openshift_container_platform/latest/html/operators/administrator-tasks#olm-upgrading-operators
  5. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:46836 · 2 productsThe containers required to run Discovery can be installed through discovery-installer RPM. See the official documentation for more details.
  6. Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2026:44481 · 5 productsThe container images provided by this release, apart from the installer, should be deployed using rhui-installer utility. See the official documentation for more details.

Detection

Nuclei template
none so far
ProjectDiscovery
Exploit-DB
no entry
Exploit-DB
Proof of concept
Metasploit modules
none listed
Metasploit Framework

Sources

Identifiers

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L
Published
2025-05-27
Last Modified
2026-11-06
NVD status
Deferred
GitHub Advisory
GHSA-ch64-4x3c-w3jq

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-5278?

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.

Is CVE-2025-5278 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2025-5278 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 0.3% on 2026-11-09, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-5278?

CVE-2025-5278 has a CVSS v3 base score of 4.4 (MEDIUM severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L.

Running coreutils? Hear about its next vulnerability

Surveillance reads the versions in your stack — a domain, a lockfile or a list — checks each CVE against the ranges its sources publish, and alerts you when one you run is exploited or enters CISA KEV. A version it cannot read stays « version not verified ».

Get alerts for this productCISA KEV additions, November 2026Search CVEs

No credit card required · No monthly cap on website lookups · 250 API requests/month

Go further

Related vulnerabilities

Same product first, then the same vendor advisory and the same publication week.

Back to CVE Database

Sources for this record