HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-31566
HIGH

CVE-2021-31566

CWE-59Published: August 23, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An improper link resolution flaw can occur while extracting an archive leading to changing modes, times, access control lists, and flags of a file outside of the archive. An attacker may provide a malicious archive to a victim user, who would trigger this flaw when trying to extract the archive. A local attacker may use this flaw to gain more privileges in a system.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-31566 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
libarchive1 product(s)
libarchive
Red Hat10 product(s)
enterprise linuxenterprise linux eusenterprise linux for ibm z systemsenterprise linux for ibm z systems eusenterprise linux for power little endianenterprise linux for power little endian eusenterprise linux server ausenterprise linux server for power little endian update services for sap solutionsenterprise linux server tuscodeready linux builder
splunk1 product(s)
universal forwarder
Source: NVD CPE · 15 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
PacketStorm
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

PATCHhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2024237
PATCHhttps://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/commit/b41daecb5ccb4c8e3b2c53fd6147109fc12c3043
PATCHhttps://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/1566
PATCHhttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2024237
PATCHhttps://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/commit/b41daecb5ccb4c8e3b2c53fd6147109fc12c3043
PATCHhttps://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/1566
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-31566
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00030.html
ADVISORYhttps://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-31566
ADVISORYhttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00030.html

All References (10)

→
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-31566Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2024237Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/commit/b41daecb5ccb4c8e3b2c53fd6147109fc12c3043Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/1566Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00030.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-31566Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2024237Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/commit/b41daecb5ccb4c8e3b2c53fd6147109fc12c3043Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/1566Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00030.htmlMailing List · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-31566
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-59
CISA KEVNo
Affected5 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 23, 2022

Related CVEs (CWE-59)

CVE-2024-28189
10.0
CVE-2024-28185
10.0
CVE-2014-4480
10.0
CVE-2002-2374
10.0
CVE-2018-5225
9.9
CVE-2026-44881
9.9

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-31566 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.
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