CVE-2020-36193: Pear/archive tar Path Traversal Vulnerability

Q: What is CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 is a security vulnerability in Pear/archive tar involving Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').

Q: Which Pear/archive tar versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.13 across affected packages: pear/archive_tar.

Q: What version fixes CVE-2020-36193?

Upgrading to 1.4.13 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Q: Is pear/archive_tar affected?

Yes, pear/archive_tar is affected in releases prior to 1.4.13. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.13 or later.

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:H.

Q: What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).

Q: How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2020-36193?

Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for pear/archive_tar'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

HIGH

Advisory Identifier: GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx

CVSS 7.5

CWE-59 CWE-22

Published 2021-04-22

Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-36193 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Pear/archive tar libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves directory traversal in archive_tar. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.13.

CVE-2020-36193 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-36193

GHSA Identifier GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx

Severity HIGH

CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5

CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Affected Product Pear/archive tar

Package Ecosystem Packagist

Published Date 2021-04-22

Last Updated 2025-10-22

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)

Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)

Privileges Required None (PR:N)

User Interaction None (UI:N)

Scope Unchanged (S:U)

Confidentiality None (C:N)

Integrity High (I:H)

Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-36193

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Pear/archive tar dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

pear/archive_tar fixed: 1.4.13

Upgrade pear/archive_tar to 1.4.13

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

inspect dependencies for pear/archive_tar

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2020-36193, inspect your project dependencies for Pear/archive tar:

inspect dependencies for pear/archive_tar

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Pear/archive tar in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.13), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In Pear/archive tar, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Tar.php in Archive_Tar through 1.4.11 allows write operations with Directory Traversal due to inadequate checking of symbolic links, a related issue to CVE-2020-28948. ### :exclamation: Note: There was an [initial fix](https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/commit/cde460582ff389404b5b3ccb59374e9b389de916) for this vulnerability made in version `1.4.12`. That fix introduced a bug which was [fixed in 1.4.13](https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/pull/36). Therefore we have set the first-patched-version to `1.4.13` which the earliest working version that avoids this vulnerability.

CVE-2020-36193 Affected Pear/archive tar Versions

1 component(s)

Fixed Versions:

1.4.13

Product / Package	Ecosystem	Affected Versions	Fixed Version
pear/archive_tar	Packagist	< 1.4.13	1.4.13

References

NVD — CVE-2020-36193 NVD

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36193

Pear/archive tar Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/issues/35

Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT

https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/commit/cde460582ff389404b5b3ccb59374e9b389de916

www.drupal.org/sa-core-2021-001 WEB

https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2021-001

Pear/archive tar Security Information SECURITY

https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4894

www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-36193

Pear/archive tar Security Information SECURITY

https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202101-23

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKD5WEFA4WT6AVTMRAYBNXZNLWZHM7FH

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VJQQYDAOWHD6RDITDRPHFW7WY6BS3V5N

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FOZNK4FIIV7FSFCJNNFWMJZTTV7NFJV2

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42GPGVVFTLJYAKRI75IVB5R45NYQGEUR

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKD5WEFA4WT6AVTMRAYBNXZNLWZHM7FH

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VJQQYDAOWHD6RDITDRPHFW7WY6BS3V5N

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FOZNK4FIIV7FSFCJNNFWMJZTTV7NFJV2

lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB

https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42GPGVVFTLJYAKRI75IVB5R45NYQGEUR

lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00007.html

lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/01/msg00018.html

Pear/archive tar Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar

Pear/archive tar Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/pear/archive_tar/CVE-2020-36193.yaml

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 is a security vulnerability in Pear/archive tar involving Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').

Which Pear/archive tar versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.13 across affected packages: pear/archive_tar.

What version fixes CVE-2020-36193?

Upgrading to 1.4.13 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Is pear/archive_tar affected?

Yes, pear/archive_tar is affected in releases prior to 1.4.13. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.13 or later.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:H.

What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-36193?

CVE-2020-36193 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).

How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2020-36193?

Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for pear/archive_tar'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema

Normalized schema output

View Raw JSON

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx",
  "modified" : "2025-10-22T18:00:26Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-22T16:20:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-36193" ],
  "summary" : "Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar",
  "details" : "Tar.php in Archive_Tar through 1.4.11 allows write operations with Directory Traversal due to inadequate checking of symbolic links, a related issue to CVE-2020-28948.\n\n### :exclamation: Note: \nThere was an [initial fix](https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/commit/cde460582ff389404b5b3ccb59374e9b389de916) for this vulnerability made in version `1.4.12`. That fix introduced a bug which was [fixed in 1.4.13](https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/pull/36). Therefore we have set the first-patched-version to `1.4.13` which the earliest working version that avoids this vulnerability.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "pear/archive_tar"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.13"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.4.11"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36193"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/issues/35"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar/commit/cde460582ff389404b5b3ccb59374e9b389de916"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2021-001"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4894"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-36193"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202101-23"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKD5WEFA4WT6AVTMRAYBNXZNLWZHM7FH"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VJQQYDAOWHD6RDITDRPHFW7WY6BS3V5N"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FOZNK4FIIV7FSFCJNNFWMJZTTV7NFJV2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42GPGVVFTLJYAKRI75IVB5R45NYQGEUR"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YKD5WEFA4WT6AVTMRAYBNXZNLWZHM7FH"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VJQQYDAOWHD6RDITDRPHFW7WY6BS3V5N"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FOZNK4FIIV7FSFCJNNFWMJZTTV7NFJV2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42GPGVVFTLJYAKRI75IVB5R45NYQGEUR"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00007.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/01/msg00018.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pear/Archive_Tar"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/pear/archive_tar/CVE-2020-36193.yaml"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-22T23:56:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-01-18T20:15:00Z"
  }
}

CVSS V3

7.5 HIGH

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)

Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)

Privileges Required None (PR:N)

User Interaction None (UI:N)

Scope Unchanged (S:U)

Confidentiality None (C:N)

Integrity High (I:H)

Availability None (A:N)

Vector String

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:H

Advisory Metadata

Source ID: GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx
Schema Version: 1.4.0
Published: 2021-04-22 16:20
Last Modified: 2025-10-22 18:00
Database Record File: advisories/github-reviewed/2021/04/GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx/GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx.json