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coreutils — security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVAdvisory ID: DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278

A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.

Products
coreutils
Affected versions
9.1-1, 9.10-1, 9.4-1, 9.4-2, 9.4-3, 9.4-3.1, 9.5-1, 9.6-1, 9.6-2, 9.7-1, 9.7-2, 9.7-3
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2025-5278
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
30 Oct 2026, 16:32 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278

core-osv · Original source

Published 27 May 2025, 21:15 UTC

A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.

osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278

coreutils

Fixed versions: Not specified

coreutils

Fixed versions: Not specified

coreutils

Fixed versions: Not specified

Complete source record
{
  "id": "6c4a688d0ebf64f877a97d8b4f66fb254055831a94c7510b95bdd19c00fd5b00",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278",
    "summary": "A flaw was found in GNU Coreutils. The sort utility's begfield() function is vulnerable to a heap buffer under-read. The program may access memory outside the allocated buffer if a user runs a crafted command using the traditional key format. A malicious input could lead to a crash or leak sensitive data.",
    "evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "coreutils",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [],
        "affected_versions": [
          {
            "value": "9.1-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.10-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.4-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.4-2",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.4-3",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.4-3.1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.5-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.6-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.6-2",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.7-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.7-2",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.7-3",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/versions"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "coreutils",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [],
        "affected_versions": [
          {
            "value": "9.10-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.7-3",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/versions"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "coreutils",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [],
        "affected_versions": [
          {
            "value": "9.10-1",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/versions"
          },
          {
            "value": "9.7-3",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/versions"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "severity": "medium",
    "structured": {
      "id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278",
      "aliases": [
        "DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "coreutils",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/coreutils?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:12"
          },
          "versions": [
            "9.1-1",
            "9.10-1",
            "9.4-1",
            "9.4-2",
            "9.4-3",
            "9.4-3.1",
            "9.5-1",
            "9.6-1",
            "9.6-2",
            "9.7-1",
            "9.7-2",
            "9.7-3"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "unimportant"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "coreutils",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/coreutils?arch=source&distro=trixie",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:13"
          },
          "versions": [
            "9.10-1",
            "9.7-3"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "unimportant"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "coreutils",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/coreutils?arch=source&distro=forky",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:14"
          },
          "versions": [
            "9.10-1",
            "9.7-3"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5278.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "unimportant"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-15T09:47:33.262088237Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2025-5278"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2025-5278"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2025-5278",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 327682,
  "published_at": "2025-05-27T21:15:23.197+00:00"
}