MEDIUM
CVE-2015-5701
CWE-59Published: August 25, 2017· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
6.1
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
mktexlsr revision 36855, and before revision 36626 as packaged in texlive allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack. NOTE: this vulnerability exists due to the reversion of a fix of CVE-2015-5700.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2015-5701 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in full integrity compromise (data manipulation), with a CVSS base score of 6.1.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
Affected Vendors & Products
tug1 product(s)
texlive
Source: NVD CPE · 5 total CPE entries
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
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Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (10)
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/07/30/6Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=775139Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1181167Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Build/source/texk/kpathsea/mktexlsr?r1=19613&r2=22885Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/07/30/6Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=775139Issue Tracking · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1181167Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.tug.org/svn/texlive/trunk/Build/source/texk/kpathsea/mktexlsr?r1=19613&r2=22885Patch · Vendor Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2015-5701
CVSS Score6.1 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-59
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 25, 2017
Related CVEs (CWE-59)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2015-5701 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.