# CVE-2010-1160: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks if a victim edits an attacker-owned file in GNU nano.

- **Severity:** Low 1.9 (`AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/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:** 16 Apr 2010
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2010-1160, GHSA-9v2x-x2qc-4cfg

## What is CVE-2010-1160?

CVE-2010-1160 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Apr 2010. 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

GNU nano before 2.2.4 does not verify whether a file has been changed before it is overwritten in a file-save operation, which allows local user-assisted attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on an attacker-owned file that is being edited by the victim.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-1160?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Nano.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-1160?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2010-1160 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-1160 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2024-5742](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5742/): Path traversal in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2026-6843](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-6843/): Nano: nano: format string vulnerability leads to denial of service (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2010-1161](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1161/): Race condition in n/a (low 3.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-1160 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-1160 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Apr 2010. 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-2010-1160 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-2010-1160/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1160/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-1160
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-1160
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-1160

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1160/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.