CVE-2020-26312

HIGH
Published May 14, 2024 Modified Apr 15, 2026 CWE-125 CWE-787

Description

Dotmesh is a git-like command-line interface for capturing, organizing and sharing application states. In versions 0.8.1 and prior, the unsafe handling of symbolic links in an unpacking routine may enable attackers to read and/or write to arbitrary locations outside the designated target folder. The routine `untarFile` attempts to guard against creating symbolic links that point outside the directory a tar archive is extracted to. However, a malicious tarball first linking `subdir/parent` to `..` (allowed, because `subdir/..` falls within the archive root) and then linking `subdir/parent/escapes` to `..` results in a symbolic link pointing to the tarball’s parent directory, contrary to the routine’s goals. This issue may lead to arbitrary file write (with same permissions as the program running the unpack operation) if the attacker can control the archive file. Additionally, if the attacker has read access to the unpacked files, they may be able to read arbitrary system files the parent process has permissions to read. As of time of publication, no patch for this issue is available.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1
HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read
CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-26312? +
Dotmesh is a git-like command-line interface for capturing, organizing and sharing application states. In versions 0.8.1 and prior, the unsafe handling of symbolic links in an unpacking routine may enable attackers to read and/or write to arbitrary locations outside the designated target folder. The routine `untarFile` attempts to guard against creating symbolic links that point outside the directory a tar archive is extracted to. However, a malicious tarball first linking `subdir/parent` to `..` (allowed, because `subdir/..` falls within the archive root) and then linking `subdir/parent/escapes` to `..` results in a symbolic link pointing to the tarball’s parent directory, contrary to the routine’s goals. This issue may lead to arbitrary file write (with same permissions as the program running the unpack operation) if the attacker can control the archive file. Additionally, if the attacker has read access to the unpacked files, they may be able to read arbitrary system files the parent process has permissions to read. As of time of publication, no patch for this issue is available. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2020-26312? +
CVE-2020-26312 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2020-26312? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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