# CVE-2026-91781: GNU Binutils ELF Section elf64-x86-64.c elf_x86_64_common_section_index null pointer dereference

> A local attacker can cause a denial of service via null pointer dereference in GNU Binutils ELF section handling.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/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:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-103368, BELL-CVE-2026-91781, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-91781, ECHO-8cf4-a772-b7d9, GHSA-x33g-4rqc-v4wq, OESA-2026-4160, OESA-2026-4161, OESA-2026-4162, OESA-2026-4163, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-91781

## What is CVE-2026-91781?

CVE-2026-91781 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils, published on 15 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A security vulnerability has been detected in GNU Binutils 2.47. Affected is the function elf_x86_64_common_section_index of the file bfd/elf64-x86-64.c of the component ELF Section Handler. The manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. The attack needs to be performed locally. The exploit has been disclosed publicly and may be used. Upgrading to version 2.48 is able to address this issue. The identifier of the patch is 7322e9bc30cb282575a701c307851fd3d66fee68. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-91781?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Binutils.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-91781?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-91781 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-91781 exists.

## 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-2026-91781 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-91781 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Binutils, published on 15 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-91781 exists.

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-2026-91781/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-91781/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-91781
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-91781
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-91781

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-91781/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.