Summary
xmas-elf potential out-of-bounds read with a malformed ELF file and the HashTable API.
Affected versions of this crate only validated the index argument of HashTable::get_bucket and HashTable::get_chain against the input-controlled bucket_count and chain_count fields, but not against the size of the ELF section. As a result, a malformed ELF file could trigger out-of-bounds reads in a consumer of the HashTable API by setting these fields to inappropriately large values that would fall outside the relevant hash table section, and by introducing correspondingly out-of-bounds hash table indexes elsewhere in the ELF file.
Impact
A read operation accesses a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: sensitive data disclosure or crash.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8? GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8 is a medium-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability in xmas-elf (rust), affecting versions < 0.10. It is fixed in 0.10. A read operation accesses a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
- Which versions of xmas-elf are affected by GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8? xmas-elf (rust) versions < 0.10 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8? Yes. GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8 is fixed in 0.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-9CC5-2PQ7-HFJ8? Upgrade
xmas-elfto 0.10 or later.