CVE-2023-52138Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Code execution via unchecked cpio symlink extraction

Published Feb 5, 2024 · Updated Jun 17, 2025

Path traversal in MATE Desktop Engrampa before commit 63d5dfa allows remote attackers to execute code through a crafted cpio or ISO archive. The cpio extraction backend follows archive-supplied symbolic links without checking their destinations, allowing entries to write outside the extraction directory. Exploitation requires a victim to extract the archive; writes to SSH, shell-startup, or autostart files can execute attacker-controlled commands.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability1.67%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in MATE Desktop Engrampa before commit 63d5dfa allows remote attackers to execute code through a crafted cpio or ISO archive. The cpio extraction backend follows archive-supplied symbolic links without checking their destinations, allowing entries to write outside the extraction directory. Exploitation requires a victim to extract the archive; writes to SSH, shell-startup, or autostart files can execute attacker-controlled commands.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-52138
Published
Feb 5, 2024
Updated
Jun 17, 2025
Vendor
MATE Desktop
Product
Engrampa
Classifications
CWE-22, CWE-59, CWE-25, T1204.002
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 5, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 17, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< commit 63d5dfa

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

MATE Desktop · Engrampaversion=< commit 63d5dfa

Published CVSS scores

8.2GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N
9.6NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CWE-25Path Traversal: '/../filedir'
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

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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