CVE-2006-6097

CVE-2006-6097 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Tar with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 11% places it in the 95th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation.

Key facts

Description

GNU tar 1.16 and 1.15.1, and possibly other versions, allows user-assisted attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a tar file that contains a GNUTYPE_NAMES record with a symbolic link, which is not properly handled by the extract_archive function in extract.c and extract_mangle function in mangle.c, a variant of CVE-2002-1216.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2006-6097?
GNU tar 1.16 and 1.15.1, and possibly other versions, allows user-assisted attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a tar file that contains a GNUTYPE_NAMES record with a symbolic link, which is not properly handled by the extract_archive function in extract.c and extract_mangle function in mangle.c, a variant of CVE-2002-1216.
How severe is CVE-2006-6097?
CVE-2006-6097 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2006-6097 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 11% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2006-6097?
CVE-2006-6097 primarily affects Gnu Tar. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2006-6097?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2006-6097 published?
CVE-2006-6097 was published on 2006-11-24 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (2)

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Tar

All CVEs affecting Gnu Tar →