vulnerability / NVI-00015416 / Revision 1
Aqua's archive extraction follows attacker-planted symlinks, allowing writes outside the install directory
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for github.com/aquaproj/aqua/v2. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
6.6 medium
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
github.com/aquaproj/aqua/v2
source listed< 2.60.1
### Summary `aquaproj/aqua` extracts downloaded tool archives through `pkg/unarchive/archives.go` using `github.com/mholt/archives`. The archive handler creates symlink entries with `os.Symlink(f.LinkTarget, dstPath)` without validating that the symlink target resolves inside the extraction destination. A subsequent regular-file archive entry with the same path is opened with `OpenFile(dstPath, O_CREATE|O_WRONLY)`, which follows the attacker-planted symlink. A malicious or compromised aqua package / release asset can therefore write attacker-controlled bytes outside aqua's extraction directory, with the privileges of the user running aqua. ### Details Affected file: `pkg/unarchive/archives.go` Affected function: `(*handler).HandleFile` The vulnerable logic is the combination of: ```go os.Symlink(f.LinkTarget, dstPath) ``` for symlink entries, followed by: ```go h.fs.OpenFile(dstPath, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, f.Mode()) ``` for a later regular file entry at the same archive path. The symlink target is not jailed to the extraction destination, and the later file open follows the symlink. The attached PoC uses a two-entry `tar.gz` archive: 1. symlink `pwn -> <outside target
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. GitHub Advisory Database
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
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04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
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- GHSA-mf5c-hw34-4hpp ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
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Public revision history
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- Revision 1 ·
First indexed by Null; source disclosure date is shown separately.