CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2021-38511

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Published: Aug 10, 2021 | Modified: Nov 21, 2024
CVSS 3.x
7.5
HIGH
Source:
NVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.x
5 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
RedHat/V2
RedHat/V3
7.5 MODERATE
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Ubuntu
MEDIUM
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An issue was discovered in the tar crate before 0.4.36 for Rust. When symlinks are present in a TAR archive, extraction can create arbitrary directories via .. traversal.

Weakness

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Affected Software

NameVendorStart VersionEnd Version
TarTar_project*0.4.36 (excluding)
Rust-tarUbuntufocal*
Rust-tarUbuntuhirsute*
Rust-tarUbuntuimpish*
Rust-tarUbuntukinetic*
Rust-tarUbuntulunar*
Rust-tarUbuntumantic*
Rust-tarUbuntuoracular*
Rust-tarUbuntuplucky*
Rust-tarUbuntutrusty*
Rust-tarUbuntuxenial*

Potential Mitigations

  • Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
  • Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

References