Description
The rmtree function in lib/File/Path.pm in Perl 5.10 does not properly check permissions before performing a chmod, which allows local users to modify the permissions of arbitrary files via a symlink attack, a different vulnerability than CVE-2005-0448 and CVE-2004-0452.
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 | perl | 5.10.0-11 | — |
| Debian 13 | perl | 5.10.0-11 | — |
| Debian 12 | perl | 5.10.0-11 | — |
| Debian 5.0 | perl | 5.10.0-10+lenny1 | DTSA-142-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- Perl - 'rmtree()' Function Local Insecure Permissions EDB-31959 · local · Jun 23, 2008 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 1
- DTSA-142-1 perl - information disclosure / permission bypass Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- SUSE-SR:2008:017 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2008-5739 vendor-advisory
- 29902 vdb-entry
- MDVSA-2008:165 vendor-advisory
- http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=36982
- 31687 third-party-advisory
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=487319
- 1020373 vdb-entry
- 30790 third-party-advisory
- 30837 third-party-advisory
- perl-filepath-rmtree-symlink(43308) vdb-entry