# CVE-2014-4877: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote FTP servers can exploit path traversal in Wget to write arbitrary files and execute code when recursion is enabled.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **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:** 29 Oct 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-4877, DLA-82-1, DSA-3062-1, GHSA-p2w7-gcfj-5p55, MGASA-2014-0431, RHSA-2014:1764, RHSA-2014:1955, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-4877, USN-2393-1

## What is CVE-2014-4877?

CVE-2014-4877 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Oct 2014. 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

Absolute path traversal vulnerability in GNU Wget before 1.16, when recursion is enabled, allows remote FTP servers to write to arbitrary files, and consequently execute arbitrary code, via a LIST response that references the same filename within two entries, one of which indicates that the filename is for a symlink.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-4877?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:1.12-5.el6_6.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation | All versions | 0:1.14-10.el7_0.1 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.5::computenode | All versions | 0:1.12-1.12.el6_5 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.5::computenode | All versions | 0:1.12-1.12.el6_5 |
| `wget` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.5::server | All versions | 0:1.12-1.12.el6_5 |
| `wget-debuginfo` | Red Hat:rhel_eus:6.5::server | All versions | 0:1.12-1.12.el6_5 |

Products: Gnu Wget.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-4877?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2014-4877 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2014-4877 exists.

Public exploit code:

- GNU Wget FTP Symlink Arbitrary Filesystem Access (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2019-5953](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5953/): Memory corruption in GNU Wget (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-38428](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38428/): Other in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-58469](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58469/): GNU Wget 1.25.0 Heap Buffer Underread via Metalink URL Parsing (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2016-7098](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7098/): Race condition in n/a (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2018-20483](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20483/): Information disclosure in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-4877 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-4877 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 29 Oct 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2014-4877 exists.

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-2014-4877/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4877/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-4877
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4877
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-4877

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4877/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.