# CVE-2005-1038: Path traversal in n/a

> Local users can read other users' cron files by exploiting symlink handling in the crontab editor.

- **Severity:** Low 2.1 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Apr 2005
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xmqm-497m-6h9h, RHSA-2005:361, RHSA-2006:0117

## What is CVE-2005-1038?

CVE-2005-1038 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 10 Apr 2005. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

crontab in Vixie cron 4.1, when running with the -e option, allows local users to read the cron files of other users by changing the file being edited to a symlink.  NOTE: there is insufficient information to know whether this is a duplicate of CVE-2001-0235.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2005-1038?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::desktop | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::desktop | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::es | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::es | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::ws | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::ws | All versions | 0:4.1-10.EL3 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |
| `vixie-cron-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 4:4.1-36.EL4 |

Products: Paul Vixie Vixie Cron, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2005-1038?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2005-1038 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-1038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2006-2607](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2607/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2001-0559](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-0559/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2001-0560](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-0560/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 4.6)
- [CVE-2000-1096](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-1096/): Race condition in n/a (low 3.7)
- [CVE-2007-1856](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1856/): Misconfiguration in n/a (low 2.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2005-1038 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2005-1038 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 10 Apr 2005. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2005-1038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux. 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-2005-1038/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-1038/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2005-1038
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2005-1038
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2005-1038

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-1038/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.