--- binutils.orig/gold/fileread.cc	2019-11-08 10:33:58.911577903 +0000

+++ binutils-2.30/gold/fileread.cc	2019-11-08 10:34:13.001470092 +0000

@@ -381,6 +381,12 @@ File_read::do_read(off_t start, section_

   ssize_t bytes;

   if (this->whole_file_view_ != NULL)

     {

+      // See PR 23765 for an example of a testcase that triggers this error.

+      if (((ssize_t) start) < 0)

+	gold_fatal(_("%s: read failed, starting offset (%#llx) less than zero"),

+		   this->filename().c_str(),

+		   static_cast<long long>(start));

+	

       bytes = this->size_ - start;

       if (static_cast<section_size_type>(bytes) >= size)

 	{