CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2021-46179

Reachable Assertion

Published: Aug 22, 2023 | Modified: Apr 11, 2025
CVSS 3.x
6.5
MEDIUM
Source:
NVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.x
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM
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Reachable Assertion vulnerability in upx before 4.0.0 allows attackers to cause a denial of service via crafted file passed to the the readx function.

Weakness

The product contains an assert() or similar statement that can be triggered by an attacker, which leads to an application exit or other behavior that is more severe than necessary.

Affected Software

NameVendorStart VersionEnd Version
UpxUpx*4.0.0 (excluding)
Upx-uclUbuntubionic*
Upx-uclUbuntufocal*
Upx-uclUbuntulunar*
Upx-uclUbuntumantic*
Upx-uclUbuntuoracular*
Upx-uclUbuntuplucky*
Upx-uclUbuntutrusty*
Upx-uclUbuntuxenial*

Extended Description

While assertion is good for catching logic errors and reducing the chances of reaching more serious vulnerability conditions, it can still lead to a denial of service. For example, if a server handles multiple simultaneous connections, and an assert() occurs in one single connection that causes all other connections to be dropped, this is a reachable assertion that leads to a denial of service.

Potential Mitigations

References