CVE-2026-19548 Binutils: binutils: multiple use-after-free in add_archive_element via lto plugin processing

What is CVE-2026-19548?

CVE-2026-19548 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 12 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

Official description

Multiple Use-After-Free vulnerabilities were found in the add_archive_element function in ld/ldmain.c of the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The root cause is that plugin_maybe_claim() in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via bfd_close/_bfd_delete_bfd when entry->the_bfd->my_archive == NULL, but the caller retains both the original abfd parameter and a shallow copy (orig_input.the_bfd) as dangling pointers. These dangling pointers are subsequently dereferenced at three distinct locations in add_archive_element:

1. Line ~1442: accessing abfd->my_archive via bfd_usrdata(abfd->my_archive) 2. Line ~1493: multiple accesses to abfd and abfd->my_archive in a conditional check and bfd_get_filename call 3. Line ~1525: dereferencing the shallow copy orig_input.the_bfd->my_archive in trace/verbose logging

The vulnerability is triggered when LTO plugins are active (link_info.lto_plugin_active is true) and the input object has abfd->my_archive == NULL, which is a valid state for standalone object files. Red Hat builds binutils with --enable-plugins and --enable-lto, confirming the vulnerable code path is compiled in and reachable.

An attacker who can supply a crafted object or archive file to a build process using LTO-enabled linking could exploit this flaw to cause a denial of service (linker crash via segmentation fault). Arbitrary code execution is theoretically possible through heap manipulation but is substantially mitigated by hardening measures including stack protector, FORTIFY_SOURCE, ASLR, and PIE.

The attack surface is limited to build-time environments — the linker is a development tool not exposed in production runtime. The most realistic exploitation scenario is a supply chain attack introducing a crafted object file as a build dependency in CI/CD pipelines or development environments.

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-19548?

It affects 3 products.

Products include Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Hardened Images, Redhat Openshift Container Platform.

How do I fix CVE-2026-19548?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2026-19548 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-19548 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

• CVE-2018-14667 Red Hat JBoss RichFaces Framework Expression Language Injection Exploited Critical 9.8
• CVE-2021-20325 Missing fixes for CVE-2021-40438 and CVE-2021-26691 in the versions of httpd, as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.5.0, causes a securit Critical 9.8
• CVE-2018-25011 Memory corruption in libwebp Critical 9.8
• CVE-2018-25014 Other in libwebp Critical 9.8
• CVE-2014-3585 Supply chain in redhat-upgrade-tool Critical 9.8

All Redhat Enterprise Linux vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as AZL-95892, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-19548, ECHO-4612-02ee-2b3e, GHSA-j77f-3ffj-4jg4, RHSA-2026:82359, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-19548.