The BSD libc library's link_ntoa() function may be vulnerable to a classic buffer overflow
Published Jul 13, 2018
9.8
CRITICALCVSS 3.0
EPSS 3.65%
Description
Improper bounds checking of the obuf variable in the link_ntoa() function in linkaddr.c of the BSD libc library may allow an attacker to read or write from memory. The full impact and severity depends on the method of exploit and how the library is used by applications. According to analysis by FreeBSD developers, it is very unlikely that applications exist that utilize link_ntoa() in an exploitable manner, and the CERT/CC is not aware of any proof of concept. A blog post describes the functionality of link_ntoa() and points out that none of the base utilities use this function in an exploitable manner. For more information, please see FreeBSD Security Advisory SA-16:37.
Affected products
-
- Version link_ntoa()StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSD | Libc Library | n/a |
|
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 3, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (17 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | 3.65% (0.03652) | 89.26th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 3.70% (0.03699) | 88.26th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 1.80% (0.01797) | 81.14th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 4.71% (0.04706) | 81.89th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 1.80% (0.01797) | 81.56th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 17, 2024 | 3.58% (0.03579) | 91.48th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Apr 27, 2024 | 0.82% (0.00816) | 81.59th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 1, 2024 | 1.15% (0.01148) | 84.40th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jan 13, 2024 | 1.36% (0.01363) | 84.80th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Dec 4, 2023 | 1.27% (0.01270) | 84.08th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 1.47% (0.01466) | 85.06th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 7, 2023 | 1.48% (0.01477) | 84.95th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 2.07% (0.02065) | 87.25th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.02% (0.01018) | 40.69th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Sep 10, 2022 | 1.02% (0.01018) | 38.88th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.02% (0.01018) | 36.86th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.02% (0.01018) | 19.50th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (4)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037398 vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- https://www.freebsd.org/security/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-16:37.libc.asc vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FREEBSDVendor Advisory
- https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/548487 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNThird Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
- https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94694 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037398 | vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry | |
| https://www.freebsd.org/security/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-16:37.libc.asc | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_FREEBSDVendor Advisory | |
| https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/548487 | third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNThird Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource | |
| https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94694 | vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.