CVE-2025-46836 net-tools Stack-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability
Attackers can trigger a stack-based buffer overflow in net-tools via malformed /proc files, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or crashes.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2025-46836?
CVE-2025-46836 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in ecki net-tools, published on 14 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
net-tools is a collection of programs that form the base set of the NET-3 networking distribution for the Linux operating system. Inn versions up to and including 2.10, the Linux network utilities (like ifconfig) from the net-tools package do not properly validate the structure of /proc files when showing interfaces. `get_name()` in `interface.c` copies interface labels from `/proc/net/dev` into a fixed 16-byte stack buffer without bounds checking, leading to possible arbitrary code execution or crash. The known attack path does not require privilege but also does not provide privilege escalation in this scenario. A patch is available and expected to be part of version 2.20.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-46836?
Linux distribution packages (20)
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP6 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Legacy 15 SP7 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | All versions | 2.10-160000.3.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 | All versions | 1.60-765.12.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 | All versions | 1.60-765.15.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 | All versions | 2.10-160000.3.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | All versions | 2.10-3.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Micro 6.0 | All versions | 2.10-4.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Micro 6.1 | All versions | 2.10-slfo.1.1_2.1 |
net-tools SUSE:Linux Micro 6.2 | All versions | 2.10-160000.3.1 |
net-tools openSUSE:Leap 15.6 | All versions | 2.0+git20170221.479bb4a-150000.5.13.1 |
net-tools openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | All versions | 2.10-160000.3.1 |
net-tools openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 2.10-4.1 |
How do I fix CVE-2025-46836?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2025-46836 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-46836 exists.
Sources
Also known as AZL-61883, AZL-61888, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-46836, DLA-4202-1, DSA-5923-1, GHSA-pfwf-h6m3-63wf and 13 more.