# CVE-2025-5917: Libarchive: off by one error in build_ustar_entry_name() at archive_write_set_format_pax.c

> An off-by-one error in Libarchive allows a 1-byte write overflow, potentially causing crashes or enabling code execution.

- **Severity:** Low 2.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **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:** 9 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 1 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-63756, AZL-63777, AZL-63818, AZL-63854, BELL-CVE-2025-5917, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-5917, ECHO-f0a0-988f-d29c, GHSA-29vm-vjqm-q2mx, JLSEC-2025-247, MINI-5phj-qq78-m4cj, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-5917

## What is CVE-2025-5917?

CVE-2025-5917 is a low-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Libarchive Libarchive, published on 9 Jun 2025. 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 vulnerability has been identified in the libarchive library. This flaw involves an 'off-by-one' miscalculation when handling prefixes and suffixes for file names. This can lead to a 1-byte write overflow. While seemingly small, such an overflow can corrupt adjacent memory, leading to unpredictable program behavior, crashes, or in specific circumstances, could be leveraged as a building block for more sophisticated exploitation. This bug affects libarchive versions prior to 3.8.0.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-5917?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Libarchive Libarchive, Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Openshift Container Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-5917?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2025-5917 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-5917 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Libarchive Libarchive

- [CVE-2024-37407](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37407/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2016-1541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1541/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-6250](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6250/): Integer overflow in n/a (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2025-5914](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5914/): Libarchive: double free at archive_read_format_rar_seek_data() in archive_read_support_format_rar.c (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-48957](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48957/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-5917 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-5917 is a low-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Libarchive Libarchive, published on 9 Jun 2025. 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-2025-5917 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Libarchive Libarchive. 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-2025-5917/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5917/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-5917
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-5917
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-5917

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5917/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.