diff -rupN --no-dereference binutils-2.41/bfd/elf.c binutils-2.41-new/bfd/elf.c
--- binutils-2.41/bfd/elf.c	2023-10-17 08:36:10.773734280 +0200
+++ binutils-2.41-new/bfd/elf.c	2023-10-17 08:36:21.496307731 +0200
@@ -9479,6 +9479,8 @@ _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables (bfd *abfd
 	  if (elf_use_dt_symtab_p (abfd))
 	    iverneed->vn_filename
 	      = elf_tdata (abfd)->dt_strtab + iverneed->vn_file;
+	  else if (hdr == NULL)
+	    goto error_return_bad_verref;
 	  else
 	    iverneed->vn_filename
 	      = bfd_elf_string_from_elf_section (abfd, hdr->sh_link,
@@ -9516,6 +9518,8 @@ _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables (bfd *abfd
 	      if (elf_use_dt_symtab_p (abfd))
 		ivernaux->vna_nodename
 		  = elf_tdata (abfd)->dt_strtab + ivernaux->vna_name;
+	      else if (hdr == NULL)
+		goto error_return_bad_verref;
 	      else
 		ivernaux->vna_nodename
 		  = bfd_elf_string_from_elf_section (abfd, hdr->sh_link,
@@ -9546,7 +9550,7 @@ _bfd_elf_slurp_version_tables (bfd *abfd
 	  iverneed->vn_nextref = NULL;
 	  if (iverneed->vn_next == 0)
 	    break;
-	  if (i + 1 < hdr->sh_info)
+	  if (hdr != NULL && (i + 1 < hdr->sh_info))
 	    iverneed->vn_nextref = iverneed + 1;
 
 	  if (iverneed->vn_next