GNU Tar through 1.30, when --sparse is used, mishandles file shrinkage during read access, which allows local users to cause a denial of ser
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).
- Published
- Dec 26, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 42th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-835
Sign in to follow · You’ll be notified if a followed record enters KEV, gets an exploit or is updated.
Report tools
Action score
18
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 18 / 40 · 4.7 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnu | tar | cpe:2.3:a:gnu:tar |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| opensuse | leap | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- debian debian linux8.0
- debian debian linux9.0
- gnu tarup to 1.30 inclusive
- opensuse leap15.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | tar | before 1.31-r0 | 1.31-r0 |
| Debian:12 | tar | before 1.30+dfsg-3.1 | 1.30+dfsg-3.1 |
| Debian:8 | tar | before 1.27.1-2+deb8u2 | 1.27.1-2+deb8u2 |
| Debian:9 | tar | before 1.29b-1.1+deb9u1 | 1.29b-1.1+deb9u1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | tar | before 1.30-lp150.7.1 | 1.30-lp150.7.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | tar | before 1.34-2.2 | 1.34-2.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | tar | before 1.30-3.3.2 | 1.30-3.3.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | tar | before 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | tar | before 1.34-150000.3.12.1 | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | tar | before 1.27.1-14.8.1 | 1.27.1-14.8.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | tar | before 1.27.1-15.6.3 | 1.27.1-15.6.3 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2005-2541Tar 1.15.1 does not properly warn the user when extracting setuid or setgid files, which may allow local users or remote attackers to gain p41Plan
- CVE-2016-6321Directory traversal vulnerability in the safer_name_suffix function in GNU tar 1.14 through 1.29 might allow remote attackers to bypass an i35Monitor
- CVE-2007-4476Buffer overflow in the safer_name_suffix function in GNU tar has unspecified attack vectors and impact, resulting in a "crashing stack."34Monitor
- CVE-2019-9923pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extend31Monitor
- CVE-2007-4131Directory traversal vulnerability in the contains_dot_dot function in src/names.c in GNU tar allows user-assisted remote attackers to overwr28Monitor
- CVE-2023-39804In GNU tar before 1.35, mishandled extension attributes in a PAX archive can lead to an application crash in xheader.c.24Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:tar | 1.31-r0 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:tar | 1.30+dfsg-3.1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:tar | 1.30-3.3.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:tar | 1.34-150000.3.12.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-835 · Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=c15c42ccd1e2377945fd0414eca1a49294bff454
- lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2018-12/msg00023.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/106354
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/12/msg00023.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00025.html
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-05
- twitter.com/thatcks/status/1076166645708668928
- utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/sysadmin/TarFindingTruncateBug
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.