CVE-2025-5702
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in GNU C Library's Power10-optimized strcmp function corrupts non-volatile vector registers, potentially altering program control flow or leaking sensitive string data. It affects systems running glibc 2.39+ on Power10 processors with powerpc64le architecture. The impact depends on how affected functions are called within applications.
💻 Affected Systems
- GNU C Library (glibc)
📦 What is this software?
Glibc by Gnu
The GNU C Library (glibc) is the core C library for Linux systems, providing essential system calls and basic functions for all C programs. It is a fundamental component that nearly every Linux application depends on.
Learn more about Glibc →Glibc by Gnu
The GNU C Library (glibc) is the core C library for Linux systems, providing essential system calls and basic functions for all C programs. It is a fundamental component that nearly every Linux application depends on.
Learn more about Glibc →Glibc by Gnu
The GNU C Library (glibc) is the core C library for Linux systems, providing essential system calls and basic functions for all C programs. It is a fundamental component that nearly every Linux application depends on.
Learn more about Glibc →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation if register corruption leads to control flow hijacking in privileged processes.
Likely Case
Application crashes, memory corruption, or unintended information disclosure of string data from affected functions.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if applications don't use strcmp with sensitive data or run in sandboxed environments.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation depends on how strcmp is used in specific applications and whether corrupted registers affect security-critical operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: glibc 2.40 or apply patch from bug report
Vendor Advisory: https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=33056
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update glibc to version 2.40 or later via distribution package manager. 2. For distributions not yet providing 2.40, apply the patch from the bug report and rebuild glibc. 3. Restart affected services or reboot system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Power10 strcmp optimization
linuxRecompile glibc without Power10-specific strcmp optimization using --disable-power10-strcmp configure flag
./configure --disable-power10-strcmp
make
make install
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid using strcmp with sensitive data in applications on Power10 systems
- Monitor applications for crashes or unexpected behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check glibc version and processor architecture: ldd --version | head -1 && grep -i power10 /proc/cpuinfoCheck Version:
ldd --version | head -1Verify Fix Applied:
Verify glibc version is 2.40+ or check if Power10 strcmp optimization is disabled in glibc configuration📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes with segmentation faults in strcmp usage
- Unexpected memory access patterns in system logs
Network Indicators:
- None specific - this is a local memory corruption vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Process monitoring for glibc-related crashes: event.category="process" AND process.name="*" AND process.exit_code="139" (SIGSEGV)