# CVE-2026-90831: GNU Binutils ELF String Table elf-strtab.c _bfd_elf_strtab_delref memory corruption

> A local attacker can exploit memory corruption in GNU Binutils ELF string table handling to potentially execute code or cause denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-108063, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90831, ECHO-f286-1322-f7b5, GHSA-fjw7-r654-jjmq, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90831

## What is CVE-2026-90831?

CVE-2026-90831 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Gnu Binutils, published on 14 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability was detected in GNU Binutils 2.47. The affected element is the function _bfd_elf_strtab_delref of the file bfd/elf-strtab.c of the component ELF String Table. The manipulation results in memory corruption. The attack requires a local approach. The exploit is now public and may be used. The project was informed of the problem early through a bug report but has not responded yet.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90831?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Binutils.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-90831?

No fix published yet.

## Is CVE-2026-90831 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90831 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Gnu Binutils

- [CVE-2017-7614](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7614/): Null dereference in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-9939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9939/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-7226](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7226/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2017-6969](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6969/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2020-19726](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-19726/): Denial of service in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-90831 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-90831 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Gnu Binutils, published on 14 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90831 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Gnu Binutils. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-90831/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-90831/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-90831
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90831
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-90831

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-90831/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.