Gnu · Binutils · CVE-2026-19548
**Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions**
binutils (affected versions not specified)
**Description**
Multiple Use-After-Free issues exist in the `add archive element()` function within the GNU linker (ld), a component of binutils. The problem occurs when `plugin maybe claim()` in ld/plugin.c frees the original BFD object via `bfd close()` or ` bfd delete bfd()` while the caller still holds the `abfd` parameter and a shallow copy `orig input.the bfd` as dangling pointers. These pointers are later dereferenced in three locations within `add archive element()`: accessing `abfd->my archive` via `bfd usrdata()`, performing conditional checks and `bfd get filename()` calls, and during trace/verbose logging. This is triggered when LTO (Link Time Optimization) plugins are active and the input object has `abfd->my archive` set to NULL. An attacker providing a crafted object or archive file during a build process using LTO-enabled linking could cause a denial of service via a linker crash. While arbitrary code execution is theoretically possible through heap manipulation, it is mitigated by system hardening measures. The primary risk is a supply chain attack targeting CI/CD pipelines or development environments.
**Recommendations**
At the moment, there is no information about a newer version that contains a fix for this vulnerability.