---
id: "CVE-2026-113604"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-113604"]
title: "Ghidra: crafted ELF file triggers out-of-memory denial of service on import"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 6.8
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["ghidra", "headless-analysis", "package", "reverse-engineering", "security-research"]
not_affected_if: ["no-untrusted-elf-import", "trusted-input-only"]
published_at: "2026-10-20T16:17:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T03:44:42+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-113604", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00"}]
---

# Ghidra: crafted ELF file triggers out-of-memory denial of service on import

Ghidra's ELF loader trusts unvalidated extended section and program header counts when allocating arrays. A crafted 128-byte ELF file makes the import or headless analysis crash with an OutOfMemoryError, a denial of service.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed Ghidra version against the affected range 10.2 through 12.1.4, for example by reading the version in the Ghidra install's `application.properties` file or the release name on the install path.
- Look for headless analysis jobs (`analyzeHeadless`) that import binaries from untrusted sources.

## Fix

- Upgrade Ghidra to a release later than `12.1.4`; the fixed version is unknown from the sources.
- Until upgraded, do not import untrusted ELF files into Ghidra or headless pipelines.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-113604

## From the sources

Ghidra 10.2 through 12.1.4 contains a denial of service vulnerability in the ELF loader's ElfHeader class that allocates arrays sized by unvalidated extended section and program header counts. Attackers can supply a crafted 128-byte ELF file that triggers an OutOfMemoryError during load-spec discovery at import or in headless analysis pipelines.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_