AutoTools does not set CARES_RANDOM_FILE during cross compilation
Published May 25, 2023 · Updated Oct 23, 2026
Original summary
Normalized public record · Updated Oct 23, 2026
AutoTools does not set CARES_RANDOM_FILE during cross compilation
Publisher and source text is retained separately from QFinch interpretation.
QFinch assessment
c-ares is an asynchronous resolver library. When cross-compiling c-ares and using the autotools build system, CARES_RANDOM_FILE will not be set, as seen when cross compiling aarch64 android. This will downgrade to using rand() as a fallback which could allow an attacker to take advantage of the lack of entropy by not using a CSPRNG. This issue was patched in version 1.19.1.
Evidence: public source recordsAffected products
| Affected package, product or range | Fix status |
|---|---|
| Consult the referenced vendor advisory for affected versions. | Consult source advisory |
Matching a version is only one part of assessing exposure. QFinch has not assessed your environment on this public page.
Remediation
Apply the vendor-supported fixed release or mitigation, then verify the affected component is no longer reachable.
- Confirm the affected product and reachable code path exist in your environment.
- Apply the vendor-supported patch or mitigation from the primary advisory.
- Rescan the exact deployed revision and retain verification evidence.
Evidence coverage
- SSVC priority
- LOW
- Confidence
- Not available
- Aliases
- None reported
Scores appear only when corresponding evidence exists. Missing data is never interpreted as zero risk.
Sources and record history
- Security advisory ↗
- Source repository ↗
- lists.fedoraproject.org ↗
- lists.fedoraproject.org ↗
- security.gentoo.org ↗
Record history
Published May 25, 2023 · Last refreshed Oct 23, 2026