Vulnary
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Critical· 9.4

CVE-2025-4517

This vulnerability allows an attacker to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem when a Python tarfile module extracts a tar archive with the filter set to "data" or "tar". The flaw occurs because the extraction filter does not prevent path traversal, letting the archive specify paths that escape the intended directory. The issue is critical because it can overwrite system files or install malicious code.

publishedJun 3, 2025
last modifiedJul 31, 2026
sourcesNVD
severity · cvss
9.4
critical · how bad it is
exploitation · epss
1%
67th percentile · chance of exploitation in 30 days
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →
auto-deletes from the system
counting…on Sep 14, 2026

No official fix yet. If none appears within 45 days of first tracking, this entry is removed automatically.

01

Who is affected

Python 3.14 and earlier versions that use the tarfile module to extract untrusted tar archives with filter="data" or "tar". Developers or users running Python scripts that perform such extraction are affected.

02

Real-world impact

An attacker could write files to any location on the filesystem, potentially overwriting system files, installing malware, or creating files that compromise the system.

03

Why this severity

The CVSS score of 9.4 reflects that the flaw can be triggered over the network, requires no special privileges, and lets an attacker fully compromise confidentiality and integrity, with some impact on availability.

04

What to do about it

no official fix yet
interim mitigations
  • ›Avoid extracting untrusted tar archives with filter="data" or "tar".
  • ›Use a safer extraction filter or disable extraction of untrusted archives.

No official fix or mitigation is documented in the sources yet. Monitor the vendor advisory and apply the patch as soon as it is released.

NVD description

05

Timeline

  1. Jun 3, 2025 · Jun 3, 2025
    Published
    Disclosed and added to the National Vulnerability Database.
  2. Jul 31, 2026 · 5d ago
    Advisory updated
    The NVD record was last revised.
06

How it’s attacked

Attack vectorNetwork (remote)
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone needed
ScopeUnchanged
Confidentiality impactHigh
Integrity impactHigh
Availability impactLow
07

References & advisories

NVD advisory ↗Search advisories ↗
(ai-assisted) A model wrote this summary from the official data, so double-check it against the source before you act on it. Read the official advisory →