Description
The original patch for a GNU tar directory traversal vulnerability (CVE-2002-0399) in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and 2.1 uses an "incorrect optimization" that allows user-assisted attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a crafted tar file, probably involving "/../" sequences with a leading "/".
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | tar | 1.14-2.2 | — |
| Debian 13 | tar | 1.14-2.2 | — |
| Debian 12 | tar | 1.14-2.2 | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 3 | tar | 1.13.25-14.RHEL3 | RHSA-2006:0195 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | tar | 1.34-2.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11422-1 |
Advisories 2
- RHSA-2006:0195 Red Hat Security Advisory: tar security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11422-1 tar-1.34-2.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:9946 vdb-entry signature
- 5834 vdb-entry
- SUSE-SR:2006:005 vendor-advisory
- 1015655 vdb-entry
- http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-110.htm
- 18988 third-party-advisory
- 19130 third-party-advisory
- RHSA-2006:0195 vendor-advisory
- 20397 third-party-advisory
- FLSA:183571-1 vendor-advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=140589
- 19183 third-party-advisory