# CVE-2023-7216: Cpio: extraction allows symlinks which enables remote command execution

> A path traversal flaw in Cpio allows attackers to write files to arbitrary directories via symlinks, potentially leading to remote code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 25 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-v9vx-4mxw-76j2, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-7216

## What is CVE-2023-7216?

CVE-2023-7216 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 5 Feb 2024. 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

A path traversal vulnerability was found in the CPIO utility. This issue could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to trick a user into opening a specially crafted archive. During the extraction process, the archiver could follow symlinks outside of the intended directory, which allows files to be written in arbitrary directories through symlinks.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-7216?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Gnu Cpio, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-7216?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-7216 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-7216 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-7216 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2021-38185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38185/): Integer overflow in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2010-4226](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4226/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2010-0624](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0624/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2019-14866](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14866/): Path traversal in cpio (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2023-7207](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-7207/): Path traversal in Debian cpio (medium 4.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-7216 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-7216 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 5 Feb 2024. 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: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-7216 exists.

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-2023-7216/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-7216/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-7216
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-7216
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-7216

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-7216/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.