CVE-2025-5278 (Moderate severity, published 2025-05-26)
CVSS score: 4.4 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L)
CWE: CWE-121
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.
Statement: The severity of this issue is considered Moderate rather than Critical because successful exploitation requires the use of the traditional key specification syntax with an exceptionally large character position value, which is uncommon in typical usage. Although the vulnerability can lead to a heap buffer overflow resulting in a read one byte before the allocated buffer, it does not enable code execution, privilege escalation, or direct compromise of data confidentiality or integrity. The impact is therefore primarily limited to potential service disruption due to application crashes.

Furthermore, default RHEL configurations such as SELinux enforcement, ASLR, and memory protections reduce the likelihood of exploitation and limit the scope of any resulting impact. These safeguards, along with typical system usage patterns that do not commonly invoke the vulnerable code path, restrict exploitability in default and hardened environments. Consequently, the vulnerability’s overall security impact is mitigated compared to flaws that allow immediate code execution or broader compromise across system components.

Within regulated environments, a combination of the following controls acts as a significant barrier to successfully exploiting a CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability and therefore downgrades the severity of this particular CVE from Moderate to Low.

Access to the platform is granted only after successful hard token, multi-factor authentication (MFA), which is coupled with least privilege principles to ensure that only authorized roles and users can execute or manipulate code. Red Hat enforces the principle of least functionality, ensuring that only essential features, services, and ports are enabled. This minimizes the number of components that could be affected by stack-based buffer overflow exploitations. The environment leverages malicious code protections such as IPS/IDS and antimalware solutions that detect and respond to indicators in real time, preventing or limiting the impact of exploitation attempts. Static code analysis and peer code review techniques are used to ensure all user inputs are thoroughly validated, preventing improperly validated inputs from causing system instability, exposing sensitive data, or escalating risks. Finally, memory protection mechanisms such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) are used to enhance resilience against memory buffer overflows and denial-of-service attacks.
Mitigation: Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.