Description
Multiple integer overflows in the (1) strtod, (2) strtof, (3) strtold, (4) strtod_l, and other unspecified "related functions" in stdlib in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.16 allow local users to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | glibc | 2.13-36 | — |
| Debian 13 | glibc | 2.13-36 | — |
| Debian 12 | glibc | 2.13-36 | — |
| Debian 6.0 | eglibc | 2.11.3-4+deb6u5 | DLA-165-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | nscd +7 | 2.12-1.80.el6_3.5 | RHSA-2012:1208 |
| RHEL 6 | rhev-hypervisor6 | 6.3-20120926.0.el6_3 | RHSA-2012:1325 |
| RHEL 5 | nscd +6 | 2.5-81.el5_8.7 | RHSA-2012:1207 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Exploit-DB 1
- GNU glibc - Multiple Local Stack Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities EDB-37631 · local · Aug 13, 2012 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 4
- RHSA-2012:1325 Red Hat Security Advisory: rhev-hypervisor6 security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2012:1208 Red Hat Security Advisory: glibc security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2012:1207 Red Hat Security Advisory: glibc security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- DLA-165-1 eglibc - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- [oss-security] 20120813 CVE Request -- glibc: Integer overflows, leading to stack-based buffer overflows in strto* related routines mailing-list
- FEDORA-2012-11927 vendor-advisory
- 84710 vdb-entry
- 54982 vdb-entry
- [oss-security] 20120813 Re: CVE Request -- glibc: Integer overflows, leading to stack-based buffer overflows in strto* related routines mailing-list
- RHSA-2012:1325 vendor-advisory
- [libc-alpha] 20120812 Fix strtod integer/buffer overflow (bug 14459) mailing-list
- http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=14459
- RHSA-2012:1262 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-201503-04 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2012:1207 vendor-advisory
- 1027374 vdb-entry
- USN-1589-1 vendor-advisory
- 50201 third-party-advisory
- 50422 third-party-advisory
- RHSA-2012:1208 vendor-advisory