# CVE-2026-13732: Gdb: gdb: out-of-bounds write in stabs parser read_member_functions() via crafted elf

Status: published. Published: 2026-08-31. Updated: 2026-11-09.

A flaw was found in GDB's STABS debug format parser. The
read_member_functions() function in gdb/stabsread.c contains a linked
list removal bug in the code that separates destructor and non-destructor
member functions of C++ classes. The bug causes the destructor entries to
remain in the main function list while the list length counter is
decremented, resulting in an out-of-bounds write when the function list
is copied to its final allocated array. An attacker can craft an ELF
binary with malicious .stab and .stabstr sections that triggers this
out-of-bounds write when a user opens the file in GDB and performs any
symbol-inspection operation such as setting a breakpoint. The inferior
process does not need to be executed. Under controlled conditions, this
was demonstrated to achieve execution of arbitrary commands within the
GDB process.

## Remediation

- workaround: The following practices would help for avoiding exposure and mitigate this
flaw:
- Do not open untrusted or unknown ELF binaries in GDB without first
  stripping debug sections. Use `objcopy --remove-section=.stab
  --remove-section=.stabstr <binary>` before debugging.
- Use `readelf -S <binary> | grep stab` to check for the presence of
  STABS sections before opening a binary in GDB. Legitimate modern
  binaries use DWARF, not STABS.
- Consider using LLDB or other debuggers that do not support STABS for
  analysis of untrusted binaries.
- For automated environments (CI, test farms) that invoke GDB on
  potentially untrusted binaries, run GDB in a sandboxed or containerized
  environment with restricted filesystem access.
- GDB 17+ deprecates STABS support but still parses it. GDB 18 (expected
  late 2026/2027) will remove STABS support entirely.
- GCC removed STABS emitting in GCC 13 (2023), so legitimately compiled
  binaries from recent GCC versions will not contain STABS data. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (gdb): ≥ 0:16.3-3.1.el10_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 Extended Update Support (gdb): ≥ 0:14.2-4.3.el10_0; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (gdb): ≥ 0:8.2-20.1.el8_10; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (gdb): ≥ 0:16.3-3.1.el9_8; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions (gdb): ≥ 0:10.2-10.2.el9_2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.6 Extended Update Support (gdb): ≥ 0:14.2-4.2.el9_6; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Cost Management On-Premise 1 (costmanagement/costmanagement-ui-rhel10): ≥ 1791460851; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Hardened Images (gdb-main): ≥ 17.2-6.2.hum1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/cds-kubernetes-rhel9): ≥ 1791978534; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/cds-rhel9): ≥ 1791978528; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/haproxy-rhel9): ≥ 1791978528; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/installer-rhel9): ≥ 1791964013; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Update Infrastructure 5 (rhui5/rhua-rhel9): ≥ 1791978693; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (gdb): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (gdb): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 7 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CVSS 3.1: 7 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: secalert@redhat.com

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.13% as of 2026-11-08; percentile 2.84%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-787

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73425 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73426 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73427 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79357 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82447 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82939 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:96095 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:96097 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:96098 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13732 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2494416 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73425 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73426 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:73427 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:79357 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82447 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:82939 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-13732 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2494416 (secalert@redhat.com)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-13732; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated 2026-11-09

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-13732; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-04

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-13732; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated Not reported

Revision: 3279f7b57f7faaaa26d6a3d6e54cecaecedd18934ba432d20c851547fc84a3aa

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-13732

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