Description
Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in the (1) tar_extract_glob and (2) tar_extract_all functions in libtar 1.2.20 and earlier allow remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in a crafted tar file.
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 12 | libtar | 1.2.20-2 | — |
| Debian 7 | libtar | 1.2.16-1+deb7u2 | DSA-2863-1 |
| Debian 6.0 | libtar | 1.2.11-6+deb6u2 | DSA-2863-1 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | libtar | 1.2.20-11 | — |
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | libtar | 1.2.20-8 | — |
Advisories 1
- DSA-2863-1 libtar - directory traversal Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=731860
- DSA-2863 vendor-advisory
- [libtar] 20150213 Fw: Re: Validation of file names mailing-list