Description
GNU Tar through 1.30, when --sparse is used, mishandles file shrinkage during read access, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (infinite read loop in sparse_dump_region in sparse.c) by modifying a file that is supposed to be archived by a different user's process (e.g., a system backup running as root).
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 | 1.30+dfsg-3.1 | — |
| Debian 13 | tar | 1.30+dfsg-3.1 | — |
| Debian 12 | tar | 1.30+dfsg-3.1 | — |
| Debian 9 | tar | 1.29b-1.1+deb9u1 | DLA-2830-1 |
| Debian 8 | tar | 1.27.1-2+deb8u2 | DLA-1623-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | tar | 1.30+dfsg-7ubuntu0.20.04.1 | USN-4692-1 |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | tar | 1.29b-2ubuntu0.2 | USN-4692-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | tar | 1.28-2.1ubuntu0.2 | USN-4692-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | tar | 1.27.1-1ubuntu0.1+esm1 | USN-4692-1 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP3 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| SLES 15 | tar | 1.30-3.3.2 | SUSE-SU-2019:0926-1 |
| SLES 12 SP5 | tar | 1.27.1-15.6.3 | SUSE-SU-2020:2806-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | tar | 1.27.1-14.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:14215-1 |
Show 6 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP5 | tar | 1.27.1-15.6.3 | SUSE-SU-2020:2806-1 |
| SLE Real Time 15 SP2 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.2 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.1 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| SLE Micro 5.0 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | tar | 1.27.1-14.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2019:14215-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | tar | 1.34-2.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11422-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | tar | 1.30-lp150.7.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1237-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
Show 14 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.8 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.7 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
| Alpine v3.6 | tar | 1.31-r0 | — |
Advisories 11
- SSA-398330 SSA-398330: Vulnerabilities in the additional GNU/Linux subsystem of the SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518(F)-4 PN/DP MFP >= V3.1.0 and < V3.1.5 Siemens ProductCERT · Oct 13, 2026
- USN-4692-1 tar vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 29, 2026
- DLA-1623-1 tar - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-2830-1 tar - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:0926-1 Security update for tar SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2020:2806-1 Security update for tar SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1237-1 Security update for tar SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11422-1 tar-1.34-2.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2019:14215-1 Security update for tar SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2022:1548-1 Security update for tar SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ICSA-23-348-10 Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CISA ICS & IT advisories · Aug 12, 2025
References
- https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/sysadmin/TarFindingTruncateBug
- http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=c15c42ccd1e2377945fd0414eca1a49294bff454
- [debian-lts-announce] 20181231 [SECURITY] [DLA 1623-1] tar security update mailing-list
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18745431
- 106354 vdb-entry
- GLSA-201903-05 vendor-advisory
- http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2018-12/msg00023.html
- https://twitter.com/thatcks/status/1076166645708668928
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1237 vendor-advisory
- [debian-lts-announce] 20211128 [SECURITY] [DLA 2830-1] tar security update mailing-list