diff -rupN --no-dereference binutils-2.39/bfd/elf.c binutils-2.39-new/bfd/elf.c
--- binutils-2.39/bfd/elf.c	2023-04-14 16:20:12.508326681 +0200
+++ binutils-2.39-new/bfd/elf.c	2023-04-14 16:20:25.168379675 +0200
@@ -8868,7 +8868,9 @@ _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables (bfd *abfd
 	  bfd_set_error (bfd_error_file_too_big);
 	  goto error_return_verref;
 	}
-      elf_tdata (abfd)->verref = (Elf_Internal_Verneed *) bfd_alloc (abfd, amt);
+      if (amt == 0)
+	goto error_return_verref;
+      elf_tdata (abfd)->verref = (Elf_Internal_Verneed *) bfd_zalloc (abfd, amt);
       if (elf_tdata (abfd)->verref == NULL)
 	goto error_return_verref;