CVE-2016-6321

Directory traversal vulnerability in the safer_name_suffix function in GNU tar 1.14 through 1.29 might allow remote attackers to bypass an intended protection mechanism and write to arbitrary files via vectors related to improper sanitization of the file_name parameter, aka POINTYFEATHER.

CVSS v3.1 CNA

7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

CVSS v3.0 NVD

7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

CVSS v2.0 NVD

5.0 MEDIUMAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

EPSS

15.75% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, 97th percentile

Published

2016-12-09

Updated

2025-08-06

Proof-of-concept exploits (1)

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/139370/GNU-tar-1.29-Extract-Pathname-Bypass.html

Security advisories

• http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2016-10/msg00016.html
• http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Oct/102
• http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Oct/96
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93937
• https://sintonen.fi/advisories/tar-extract-pathname-bypass.proper.txt
• http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=7340f67b9860ea0531c1450e5aa261c50f671…
• http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3132-1

References

• CVE Record
• NVD entry