Description
The SUSE coreutils-i18n.patch for GNU coreutils allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation fault and crash) via a long string to the sort command, when using the (1) -d or (2) -M switch, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow in the alloca function.
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.
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | coreutils +1 | 8.4-31.el6 | RHSA-2013:1652 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | coreutils | 8.26-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10390-1 |
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 Coreutils 'sort' Text Utility - Local Buffer Overflow EDB-38232 · local · Jan 21, 2013 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2013:1652 Red Hat Security Advisory: coreutils security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10390-1 coreutils-8.26-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026