Welcome to our detailed analysis of CVE-2020-28949, a significant security flaw discovered in the Archive_Tar software. This vulnerability has been rated with a severity score of 7.8, categorizing it as high. Today, we'll explore what the issue entails, which systems are affected, how it impacts your environment, and the necessary steps to mitigate this risk.
What is Archive_Tar?
Archive_Tar is a popular PHP library that allows handling .tar files. .tar (or tarball) files are archives – essentially collections of several files or folders within a single file, often used on UNIX and Linux systems. The software facilitates the creation, modification, and extraction of these tar files, making it a crucial tool for many developers and system administrators.
Details of the Vulnerability
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2020-28949, relates to an insufficient sanitization in the functionality of the Archive_Tar library. Specifically, while the library sanitizes filename inputs to mitigate attacks through the 'phar://', a stream-wrapper used in PHP, it neglects other types of stream-wrapper attacks. This oversight allows attackers to potentially exploit other stream-wrappers like 'file://' to overwrite files arbitrarily on the server or execute similar malicious activities.
By exploiting this flaw, an attacker could manipulate the library's lack of a comprehensive sanitization mechanism to gain unauthorized access to the server or perform unwanted actions, such as deleting or modifying sensitive files, which could severely compromise the security and integrity of the affected systems.
Impact and Scope
This vulnerability affects all versions of Archive_Tar up to and including 1.4.10. Given the widespread use of this library in handling tar files in various applications, the impact is broad, affecting systems globally. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability if they can influence the contents of tar files processed by the vulnerable versions of Archive_Tar. This makes it imperative for users and administrators to take immediate action to mitigate the potential risks associated with this flaw.
How to Mitigate and Secure Your Systems
1. Update Your Software: The primary response to this vulnerability is to update the Archive_Tar library to the latest version. Developers have addressed the issue in subsequent releases post-1.4.10, so upgrading eliminates the vulnerability from your system.
2. Review File Handling Practices: As an additional precaution, review your file processing and handling practices. Ensure that files, especially those from external sources, are thoroughly checked and sanitized before processing.
3. Implement Strict Access Controls: Tightening access controls can also prevent unauthorized access to sensitive files, thereby reducing the risk of exploitation.
4. Monitor Your Systems: Regularly monitor your systems for any unusual activity. Setting up proper logging and notification mechanisms can help in the early detection of a potential breach or exploitation attempt.
Need More Help?
If you need further assistance in securing your Linux servers against vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-28949, please visit our comprehensive patch management platform at LinuxPatch. Our experts are dedicated to helping you maintain the security and integrity of your systems with the latest patches and security updates.
In conclusion, while CVE-2020-28949 presents a significant security risk, awareness and proactive measures can greatly minimize the threat. Update your Archive_Tar software immediately, and follow best practices in software and system security to safeguard your digital assets effectively.