CVE-2014-9620

What it actually does

The ELF parser in the file utility crashes or hangs when processing files containing an excessively large number of notes sections, resulting in denial of service with no impact to confidentiality or integrity.

Why it matters to the business

Systems that analyze untrusted files may become unresponsive, disrupting workflows that rely on file type identification and requiring manual intervention to restore service.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker creates a malformed ELF binary embedding thousands of note sections and delivers it to a target system; when the file utility parses the binary the excessive notes trigger resource exhaustion leading to a crash or hang.

How to fix it

Upgrade the affected oar package to a fixed version: 2.5.2-4.1ubuntu0.1~esm1 on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS or 2.5.7-1 on Debian 11/12/13; rebuild any dependent packages that statically link the vulnerable file library.

How to confirm the fix worked

Run the file command against a test ELF containing >1000 note sections and confirm it completes without crashing; verify package versions match the listed fixed releases and re-scan the system for the vulnerable library.

Typical attack path

1. Craft ELF file containing a large number of PT_NOTE program headers
2. Deliver the file to the target via network share, email attachment, or web upload
3. Trigger parsing by invoking the file command or any application that calls it on the supplied file
4. Observe denial of service as the parser consumes excessive memory or CPU

How to detect it

Review process execution logs and application error logs for repeated invocations of the file utility that terminate abnormally; correlate with file-system events showing creation of ELF binaries immediately preceding crashes.

What your security team should do

• Apply the listed package updates on all Debian and Ubuntu systems running the oar package
• Restrict file command execution to trusted inputs until patches are deployed
• Monitor EPSS and exploit maturity; no active exploitation reported despite long public disclosure