Medium severity4.7NVD Advisory· Published Dec 26, 2018· Updated Jun 17, 2026
CVE-2018-20482
CVE-2018-20482
Description
GNU Tar through 1.30, when --sparse is used, mishandles file shrinkage during read access, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (infinite read loop in sparse_dump_region in sparse.c) by modifying a file that is supposed to be archived by a different user's process (e.g., a system backup running as root).
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Affected products
19- osv-coords13 versionspkg:rpm/opensuse/tar&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/tar&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.3pkg:rpm/opensuse/tar&distro=openSUSE%20Tumbleweedpkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Micro%205.0pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Micro%205.1pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Micro%205.2pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP3pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Point%20of%20Sale%2011%20SP3pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Real%20Time%2015%20SP2pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2011%20SP4-LTSSpkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP5pkg:rpm/suse/tar&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2012%20SP5
< 1.30-lp150.7.1+ 12 more
- (no CPE)range: < 1.30-lp150.7.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-2.2
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.30-3.3.2
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.27.1-14.8.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.34-150000.3.12.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.27.1-14.8.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1.27.1-15.6.3
- (no CPE)range: < 1.27.1-15.6.3
Patches
Vulnerability mechanics
References
10- git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/nvdPatchThird Party Advisory
- twitter.com/thatcks/status/1076166645708668928nvdPatchThird Party Advisory
- utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/sysadmin/TarFindingTruncateBugnvdPatchThird Party Advisory
- news.ycombinator.com/itemnvdExploitThird Party Advisory
- lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-tar/2018-12/msg00023.htmlnvdThird Party Advisory
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.htmlnvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/106354nvdThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/12/msg00023.htmlnvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/11/msg00025.htmlnvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201903-05nvdThird Party Advisory
News mentions
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