USN-8138-2: tar-rs vulnerability
Publication date
14 April 2026
Overview
tar-rs could be made to modify permissions on arbitrary directories.
Releases
Packages
- rust-tar - A tar archive reading/writing library for Rust
Details
USN-8138-1 fixed a vulnerability in tar-rs. This update provides the
corresponding update for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Original advisory details:
It was discovered that tar-rs incorrectly handled symlinks when unpacking
a tar archive. If a user or automated system were tricked into processing
a specially crafted tar archive, a remote attacker could use this issue to
modify permissions of arbitrary directories outside the extraction root,
and possibly escalate privileges.
USN-8138-1 fixed a vulnerability in tar-rs. This update provides the
corresponding update for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Original advisory details:
It was discovered that tar-rs incorrectly handled symlinks when unpacking
a tar archive. If a user or automated system were tricked into processing
a specially crafted tar archive, a remote attacker could use this issue to
modify permissions of arbitrary directories outside the extraction root,
and possibly escalate privileges.
Update instructions
In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.
Learn more about how to get the fixes.The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:
| Ubuntu Release | Package Version | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 20.04 LTS focal | librust-tar-dev – 0.4.26-1ubuntu0.1 | ||
Reduce your security exposure
Ubuntu Pro provides ten-year security coverage to 25,000+ packages in Main and Universe repositories, and it is free for up to five machines.