# CVE-2014-9447: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can write arbitrary files to the root directory via a crafted archive processed by the elfutils library, requiring user interaction to open the file.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P`)
- **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:** 2 Jan 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CVE-2014-9486, DEBIAN-CVE-2014-9447, GHSA-68vx-rhrw-hrp5, MGASA-2015-0033, RHEA-2015:1302, RHEA-2015:2126, SUSE-SU-2015:0292-1, SUSE-SU-2015:0434-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2014-9447, USN-2482-1

## What is CVE-2014-9447?

CVE-2014-9447 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 2 Jan 2015. 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

Directory traversal vulnerability in the read_long_names function in libelf/elf_begin.c in elfutils 0.152 and 0.161 allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files to the root directory via a / (slash) in a crafted archive, as demonstrated using the ar program.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-9447?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `elfutils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 0:0.161-3.el6 |
| `elfutils` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-libelf` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-libelf-devel-static` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |
| `elfutils-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | All versions | 0:0.163-3.el7 |

Products: Elfutils Project Elfutils.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-9447?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2014-9447 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-9447 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2018-8769](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8769/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2014-0172](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0172/): Integer overflow in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2019-7148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7148/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2020-21047](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-21047/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2021-33294](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33294/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-9447 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-9447 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 2 Jan 2015. 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-2014-9447 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-2014-9447/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9447/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-9447
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-9447
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-9447

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-9447/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.