CVE-2021-28650

Arbitrary file overwrite via symlink traversal

Published Mar 17, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Directory traversal in GNOME gnome-autoar before 0.3.1 allows remote attackers to write files outside the intended extraction directory via crafted archives. The autoar-extractor.c extraction path fails to check whether a file's parent is a symlink, allowing archive entries to escape the destination tree. Exploitation requires a user to extract a specially crafted archive; arbitrary file creation can overwrite sensitive paths and enable code execution.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Directory traversal in GNOME gnome-autoar before 0.3.1 allows remote attackers to write files outside the intended extraction directory via crafted archives. The autoar-extractor.c extraction path fails to check whether a file's parent is a symlink, allowing archive entries to escape the destination tree. Exploitation requires a user to extract a specially crafted archive; arbitrary file creation can overwrite sensitive paths and enable code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28650
Published
Mar 17, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-59, T1565.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 17, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
2.1NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1565.001Data Manipulation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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