# CVE-2002-1216: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks in GNU tar due to disabled security checks, requiring user interaction to extract archives.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 Oct 2002
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2002-1216, GHSA-29pg-f8vr-x2wh

## What is CVE-2002-1216?

CVE-2002-1216 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Oct 2002. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

GNU tar 1.13.19 and other versions before 1.13.25 allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack, as the result of a modification that effectively disabled the security check.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2002-1216?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Tar.

## How do I fix CVE-2002-1216?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2002-1216 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2002-1216 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2005-2541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2541/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-9923](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9923/): Null dereference in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2016-6321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6321/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2007-4131](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-4131/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2023-39804](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39804/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 6.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2002-1216 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2002-1216 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 21 Oct 2002. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2002-1216 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1216/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1216/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2002-1216
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2002-1216
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2002-1216

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1216/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.