It was found that rpm did not properly handle RPM installations when a destination path was a symbolic link to a directory, possibly changin
It was found that rpm did not properly handle RPM installations when a destination path was a symbolic link to a directory, possibly changing ownership and permissions of an arbitrary directory, and RPM files being placed in an arbitrary destination. An attacker, with write access to a directory in which a subdirectory will be installed, could redirect that directory to an arbitrary location and gain root privilege.
- Published
- Aug 13, 2018
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 33th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-59
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.8
- CNA · redhat
- 7.3
- 0.5 point gap
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| rpm | rpm | cpe:2.3:a:rpm:rpm |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- rpm rpm4.13.0.0 and later · before 4.13.0.2
- rpm rpm4.14.0.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
[UNKNOWN] rpm
- 4.13.0.2, 4.14.0affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | rpm | all versions | — |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | rpm | before 4.16.1.3-3.2 | 4.16.1.3-3.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | rpm | before 4.11.2-16.16.1 | 4.11.2-16.16.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | rpm-python | before 4.11.2-16.16.1 | 4.11.2-16.16.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | python-rpm | before 4.14.1-10.3.1 | 4.14.1-10.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | rpm | before 4.14.1-10.3.1 | 4.14.1-10.3.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | python3-rpm | before 4.11.2-16.16.1 | 4.11.2-16.16.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | python3-rpm | before 4.11.2-16.21.1 | 4.11.2-16.21.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | rpm | before 4.11.2-16.21.1 | 4.11.2-16.21.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | rpm-python | before 4.11.2-16.21.1 | 4.11.2-16.21.1 |
Same product
rpm: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2014-8118Integer overflow in RPM 4.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted CPIO header in the payload section 42Plan
- CVE-2011-3378RPM 4.4.x through 4.9.x, probably before 4.9.1.2, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) and possibly exec39Monitor
- CVE-2013-6435Race condition in RPM 4.11.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted RPM file whose installation extract32Monitor
- CVE-2017-7501It was found that versions of rpm before 4.13.0.2 use temporary files with predictable names when installing an RPM.31Monitor
- CVE-2021-20271A flaw was found in RPM's signature check functionality when reading a package file.28Monitor
- CVE-2012-0815The headerVerifyInfo function in lib/header.c in RPM before 4.9.1.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibl28Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| opensuse:rpm | 4.16.1.3-3.2 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:python-rpm | 4.14.1-10.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:python3-rpm | 4.11.2-16.16.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:rpm | 4.14.1-10.3.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:rpm-python | 4.11.2-16.16.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 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.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-59 · Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Obfuscated Files or Information: HTML SmugglingT1027.006
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Shortcut ModificationT1547.009
- Hide Artifacts: Resource ForkingT1564.009
- Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions WeaknessT1574.005
- Hijack Execution Flow: Services File Permissions WeaknessT1574.010
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
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2017-7500
- github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm/commit/c815822c8bdb138066ff58c624ae83e3a12ebfa9
- github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm/commit/f2d3be2a8741234faaa96f5fd05fdfdc75779a79
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.