Executive Summary

CVE‑2025‑5278 exposes a heap buffer under‑read in GNU Coreutils’ sort utility. The begfield() routine can read memory beyond the allocated buffer when a user supplies a crafted key format, potentially causing a crash or leaking sensitive data. The flaw is not yet listed in CISA KEV. Mitigation requires updating Coreutils to a patched version or avoiding the vulnerable key syntax.

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Authoritative CVE Metadata - CVSS Base Score: 4.4 (MEDIUM) - Published: 2025-05-27T21:15:23.197 - Last Modified: 2026-08-19T02:16:10.750

Original Description: 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.

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