The kubectl cp command allows copying files between containers and the user machine. To copy files from a container, Kubernetes creates a tar inside the container, copies it over the network, and kubectl unpacks it on the user’s machine. If the tar binary in the container is malicious, it could run any code and output unexpected, malicious results. An attacker could use this to write files to any path on the user’s machine when kubectl cp is called, limited only by the system permissions of the local user. The untar function can both create and follow symbolic links. The issue is resolved in kubectl v1.11.9, v1.12.7, v1.13.5, and v1.14.0.

A symbolic link issue was found in rpm. It occurs when rpm sets the desired permissions and credentials after installing a file. A local unprivileged user could use this flaw to exchange the original file with a symbolic link to a security-critical file and escalate their privileges on the system. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

The GetHTMLRunDir function in the scan-build utility in Clang 3.5 and earlier allows local users to obtain sensitive information or overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary directories with predictable names.

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in python-postorius of openSUSE Leap 15.2, Factory allows local attackers to escalate from users postorius or postorius-admin to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Leap 15.2 python-postorius version 1.3.2-lp152.1.2 and prior versions. openSUSE Factory python-postorius version 1.3.4-2.1 and prior versions.

In supportutils, before version 3.1-5.7.1 and if pacemaker is installed on the system, an unprivileged user could have overwritten arbitrary files in the directory that is used by supportutils to collect the log files.

Supportutils, before version 3.1-5.7.1, wrote data to static file /tmp/supp_log, allowing local attackers to overwrite files on systems without symlink protection

In yast2-multipath before version 4.1.1 a static temporary filename allows local attackers to overwrite files on systems without symlink protection

Inappropriate implementation in installer in Google Chrome on OS X prior to 83.0.4103.61 allowed a local attacker to perform privilege escalation via a crafted file.

Context relabeling of filesystems is vulnerable to symbolic link attack, allowing a local, unprivileged malicious entity to change the SELinux context of an arbitrary file to a context with few restrictions. This only happens when the relabeling process is done, usually when taking SELinux state from disabled to enable (permissive or enforcing). The issue was found in policycoreutils 2.5-11.

A flaw was found in RPC request using gfs3_symlink_req in glusterfs server which allows symlink destinations to point to file paths outside of the gluster volume. An authenticated attacker could use this flaw to create arbitrary symlinks pointing anywhere on the server and execute arbitrary code on glusterfs server nodes.

A directory traversal issue was found in reposync, a part of yum-utils, where reposync fails to sanitize paths in remote repository configuration files. If an attacker controls a repository, they may be able to copy files outside of the destination directory on the targeted system via path traversal. If reposync is running with heightened privileges on a targeted system, this flaw could potentially result in system compromise via the overwriting of critical system files. Version 1.1.31 and older are believed to be affected.

kwallet-pam in KDE KWallet before 5.12.6 allows local users to obtain ownership of arbitrary files via a symlink attack.

rubyzip gem rubyzip version 1.2.1 and earlier contains a Directory Traversal vulnerability in Zip::File component that can result in write arbitrary files to the filesystem. This attack appear to be exploitable via If a site allows uploading of .zip files , an attacker can upload a malicious file that contains symlinks or files with absolute pathnames "../" to write arbitrary files to the filesystem..

A Zip Slip vulnerability was found in the oc binary in openshift-clients where an arbitrary file write is achieved by using a specially crafted raw container image (.tar file) which contains symbolic links. The vulnerability is limited to the command `oc image extract`. If a symbolic link is first created pointing within the tarball, this allows further symbolic links to bypass the existing path check. This flaw allows the tarball to create links outside the tarball's parent directory, allowing for executables or configuration files to be overwritten, resulting in arbitrary code execution. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, as well as system availability. Versions up to and including openshift-clients-4.7.0-202104250659.p0.git.95881af are affected.

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in keylime of openSUSE Tumbleweed allows local attackers to escalate from the keylime user to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Tumbleweed keylime versions prior to 6.4.2-1.1.

A Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') vulnerability in a script called by the sendmail systemd service of openSUSE Factory allows local attackers to escalate from user mail to root. This issue affects: SUSE openSUSE Factory sendmail versions prior to 8.17.1-1.1.

A path traversal vulnerability has been discovered in podman before version 1.4.0 in the way it handles symlinks inside containers. An attacker who has compromised an existing container can cause arbitrary files on the host filesystem to be read/written when an administrator tries to copy a file from/to the container.

Gummi 0.6.5 allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary dot file that uses the name of an existing file and a (1) .aux, (2) .log, (3) .out, (4) .pdf, or (5) .toc extension for the file name, as demonstrated by .thesis.tex.aux.

The chroot, jail, and zone connection plugins in ansible before 1.9.2 allow local users to escape a restricted environment via a symlink attack.

The abrt-action-install-debuginfo-to-abrt-cache help program in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) before 2.7.1 allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on unpacked.cpio in a pre-created directory with a predictable name in /var/tmp.

The abrt-hook-ccpp help program in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) before 2.7.1 allows local users with certain permissions to gain privileges via a symlink attack on a file with a predictable name, as demonstrated by /var/tmp/abrt/abrt-hax-coredump or /var/spool/abrt/abrt-hax-coredump.

Libcontainer 1.6.0, as used in Docker Engine, allows local users to escape containerization ("mount namespace breakout") and write to arbitrary file on the host system via a symlink attack in an image when respawning a container.

daemon/abrt-handle-upload.in in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT), when moving problem reports from /var/spool/abrt-upload, allows local users to write to arbitrary files or possibly have other unspecified impact via a symlink attack on (1) /var/spool/abrt or (2) /var/tmp/abrt.

Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) allows local users to read, change the ownership of, or have other unspecified impact on arbitrary files via a symlink attack on (1) /var/tmp/abrt/*/maps, (2) /tmp/jvm-*/hs_error.log, (3) /proc/*/exe, (4) /etc/os-release in a chroot, or (5) an unspecified root directory related to librpm.

The Hotspot component in OpenJDK8 as packaged in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7 allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack.

The default event handling scripts in Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) allow local users to gain privileges as demonstrated by a symlink attack on a var_log_messages file.

modules.d/90crypt/module-setup.sh in the dracut package before 037-17.30.1 in openSUSE 13.2 allows local users to have unspecified impact via a symlink attack on /tmp/dracut_block_uuid.map.

systemd-tmpfiles in systemd through 237 mishandles symlinks present in non-terminal path components, which allows local users to obtain ownership of arbitrary files via vectors involving creation of a directory and a file under that directory, and later replacing that directory with a symlink. This occurs even if the fs.protected_symlinks sysctl is turned on.

rsync 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a file in the synchronization path.

The PEAR_REST class in REST.php in PEAR in PHP through 5.6.0 allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a (1) rest.cachefile or (2) rest.cacheid file in /tmp/pear/cache/, related to the retrieveCacheFirst and useLocalCache functions.

The mountpoint_last function in fs/namei.c in the Linux kernel before 3.15.8 does not properly maintain a certain reference count during attempts to use the umount system call in conjunction with a symlink, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption or use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via the umount program.

ppc64-diag 2.6.1 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack related to (1) rtas_errd/diag_support.c and /tmp/get_dt_files, (2) scripts/ppc64_diag_mkrsrc and /tmp/diagSEsnap/snapH.tar.gz, or (3) lpd/test/lpd_ela_test.sh and /var/tmp/ras.

The (1) shell_exec function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV1.rb and (2) temp_cmd_file function in lib/util/MiqSshUtilV2.rb in Red Hat CloudForms 3.0 Management Engine (CFME) before 5.2.4.2 allow local users to execute arbitrary commands via a symlink attack on a temporary file with a predictable name.

The _rl_tropen function in util.c in GNU readline before 6.3 patch 3 allows local users to create or overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /var/tmp/rltrace.[PID] file.

tag.py in eyeD3 (aka python-eyed3) 7.0.3, 0.6.18, and earlier for Python allows local users to modify arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file.

(1) core/tests/test_memmap.py, (2) core/tests/test_multiarray.py, (3) f2py/f2py2e.py, and (4) lib/tests/test_io.py in NumPy before 1.8.1 allow local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file.

The (1) extract_keys_from_pdf and (2) fill_pdf functions in pdf_ext.py in logilab-commons before 0.61.0 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files and possibly have other unspecified impact via a symlink attack on /tmp/toto.fdf.

The LXC driver (lxc/lxc_driver.c) in libvirt 1.0.1 through 1.2.1 allows local users to (1) delete arbitrary host devices via the virDomainDeviceDettach API and a symlink attack on /dev in the container; (2) create arbitrary nodes (mknod) via the virDomainDeviceAttach API and a symlink attack on /dev in the container; and cause a denial of service (shutdown or reboot host OS) via the (3) virDomainShutdown or (4) virDomainReboot API and a symlink attack on /dev/initctl in the container, related to "paths under /proc/$PID/root" and the virInitctlSetRunLevel function.

Red Hat Cluster Project 2.x allows local users to modify or overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks on files in /tmp, involving unspecified components in Resource Group Manager (aka rgmanager) before 2.03.09-1, gfs2-utils before 2.03.09-1, and CMAN - The Cluster Manager before 2.03.09-1 on Fedora 9.

It was found that the fix for CVE-2018-10927, CVE-2018-10928, CVE-2018-10929, CVE-2018-10930, and CVE-2018-10926 was incomplete. A remote, authenticated attacker could use one of these flaws to execute arbitrary code, create arbitrary files, or cause denial of service on glusterfs server nodes via symlinks to relative paths.

The pserver_shutdown function in fence_egenera in cman 2.20080629 and 2.20080801 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/eglog temporary file.

The init.d script for the X.Org X11 xfs font server on various Linux distributions might allow local users to change the permissions of arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/.font-unix temporary file.

A path traversal vulnerability was found in the CPIO utility. This issue could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to trick a user into opening a specially crafted archive. During the extraction process, the archiver could follow symlinks outside of the intended directory, which allows files to be written in arbitrary directories through symlinks.

rc.sysinit in initscripts before 8.76.3-1 on Fedora 9 and other Linux platforms allows local users to delete arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a file or directory under (1) /var/lock or (2) /var/run.

In KDE Ark before 20.08.1, a crafted TAR archive with symlinks can install files outside the extraction directory, as demonstrated by a write operation to a user's home directory.

opensuse-updater in openSUSE 10.2 allows local users to access arbitrary files via a symlink attack.

sealert in setroubleshoot 2.0.5 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the sealert.log temporary file.

A flaw was found in instack-undercloud 7.2.0 as packaged in Red Hat OpenStack Platform Pike, 6.1.0 as packaged in Red Hat OpenStack Platform Oacta, 5.3.0 as packaged in Red Hat OpenStack Newton, where pre-install and security policy scripts used insecure temporary files. A local user could exploit this flaw to conduct a symbolic-link attack, allowing them to overwrite the contents of arbitrary files.

CoolKey 1.1.0 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary files in the /tmp/.pk11ipc1/ directory.

A UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following vulnerability in chkstat of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 set permissions intended for specific binaries on other binaries because it erroneously followed symlinks. The symlinks can't be controlled by attackers on default systems, so exploitation is difficult. This issue affects: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 permissions versions prior to 2015.09.28.1626-17.27.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 permissions versions prior to 20181116-9.23.1. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 permissions versions prior to 2013.1.7-0.6.12.1.