Vulnerability identifier: #VU58202

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv3.1:

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-37701

CWE-ID:

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability:

Vulnerable software:
tar
Web applications / JS libraries

Vendor: npm Inc.

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to overwrite arbitrary files on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to input validation error when extracting tar files that contained both a directory and a symlink with the same name as the directory, where the symlink and directory names in the archive entry used backslashes as a path separator on posix systems. A remote attacker can create a specially crafted archive and overwrite arbitrary files on the system.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

tar: 4.0.0 - 6.1.6

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Fixed software versions

CPE

• cpe:2.3:a:npm:tar:6.1.6:*:*:*:*:nodejs:*:*

External links
http://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-9r2w-394v-53qc

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?