CVE-2023-6597
HIGH
Published Mar 19, 2024
Modified Apr 15, 2026
Description
An issue was found in the CPython `tempfile.TemporaryDirectory` class affecting versions 3.12.1, 3.11.7, 3.10.13, 3.9.18, and 3.8.18 and prior. The tempfile.TemporaryDirectory class would dereference symlinks during cleanup of permissions-related errors. This means users which can run privileged programs are potentially able to modify permissions of files referenced by symlinks in some circumstances.
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CVSS v3.1 Score
7.8
HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
References
Other References
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/03/20/5
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/02a9259c717738dfe6b463c44d7e17f2b6d2cb3a
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/5585334d772b253a01a6730e8202ffb1607c3d25
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/6ceb8aeda504b079fef7a57b8d81472f15cdd9a5
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/81c16cd94ec38d61aa478b9a452436dc3b1b524d
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/8eaeefe49d179ca4908d052745e3bb8b6f238f82
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/d54e22a669ae6e987199bb5d2c69bb5a46b0083b
https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/91133
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/03/msg00025.html
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/T3IGRX54M7RNCQOXVQO5KQKTGWCOABIM/
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-6597? +
An issue was found in the CPython `tempfile.TemporaryDirectory` class affecting versions 3.12.1, 3.11.7, 3.10.13, 3.9.18, and 3.8.18 and prior.
The tempfile.TemporaryDirectory class would dereference symlinks during cleanup of permissions-related errors. This means users which can run privileged programs are potentially able to modify permissions of files referenced by symlinks in some circumstances.
It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2023-6597? +
CVE-2023-6597 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 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-2023-6597? +
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.