# CVE-2017-6512: Race condition in n/a

> Attackers can exploit a race condition in Perl's File-Path module to modify permissions on arbitrary files, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Jun 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-6512, DLA-978-1, DSA-3873-1, GHSA-wf3v-xjg6-86hx, SUSE-SU-2017:2951-1, SUSE-SU-2021:0449-1, SUSE-SU-2022:3271-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-6512, openSUSE-SU-2024:13154-1

## What is CVE-2017-6512?

CVE-2017-6512 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 1 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Race condition in the rmtree and remove_tree functions in the File-Path module before 2.13 for Perl allows attackers to set the mode on arbitrary files via vectors involving directory-permission loosening logic.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-6512?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP3 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Development Tools 15 SP4 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP3 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP4 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 | All versions | 5.10.0-64.81.3.1 |
| `perl-File-Path` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.150000-8.3.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 | All versions | 5.10.0-64.81.3.1 |
| `perl-File-Path` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 2.150000-8.3.1 |
| `perl` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4 | All versions | 5.10.0-64.81.3.1 |
| `perl` | openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | openSUSE:Leap 15.4 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl` | openSUSE:Leap Micro 5.2 | All versions | 5.26.1-150300.17.11.1 |
| `perl-File-Path` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 2.180000-1.15 |

Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, File\ \.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-6512?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2017-6512 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6512 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-6512 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-6512 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 1 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6512 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu 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-2017-6512/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6512/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-6512
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6512
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-6512

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6512/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.