CVE-2018-20990

CVE-2018-20990 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tar Project Tar with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-59.

Key facts

Description

An issue was discovered in the tar crate before 0.4.16 for Rust. Arbitrary file overwrite can occur via a symlink or hardlink in a TAR archive.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-20990?
An issue was discovered in the tar crate before 0.4.16 for Rust. Arbitrary file overwrite can occur via a symlink or hardlink in a TAR archive.
How severe is CVE-2018-20990?
CVE-2018-20990 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2018-20990 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (74th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-20990?
CVE-2018-20990 affects Tar Project Tar. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-20990?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2018-20990 published?
CVE-2018-20990 was published on 2019-08-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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