Tar: Directory traversal vulnerability

1. Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

Advisory Reference	GLSA 200612-10 / tar
Release Date	December 11, 2006
Latest Revision	December 11, 2006: 01
Impact	normal
Exploitable	remote

Package	Vulnerable versions	Unaffected versions	Architecture(s)
app-arch/tar	< 1.16-r2	>= 1.16-r2	All supported architectures

Related bugreports: #155901

Synopsis

Tar is vulnerable to directory traversal possibly allowing for the overwriting of arbitrary files.

2. Impact Information

Background

The Tar program provides the ability to create and manipulate tar archives.

Description

Tar does not properly extract archive elements using the GNUTYPE_NAMES record name, allowing files to be created at arbitrary locations using symlinks. Once a symlink is extracted, files after the symlink in the archive will be extracted to the destination of the symlink.

Impact

An attacker could entice a user to extract a specially crafted tar archive, possibly allowing for the overwriting of arbitrary files on the system extracting the archive.

3. Resolution Information

Workaround

There is no known workaround at this time.

Resolution

All Tar users should upgrade to the latest version:

Code Listing 3.1: Resolution

# emerge --sync
# emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose ">=app-arch/tar-1.16-r2"

4. References

CVE-2006-6097

Page updated December 11, 2006

Summary: This is a Gentoo Linux Security Advisory

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