CWE-59
AllowedImproper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Abstraction: Base · Status: Draft
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.
2321 vulnerabilities reference this CWE, most recent first.
GHSA-PGG8-Q7HJ-8MG8
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-14 02:06 – Updated: 2022-05-14 02:06GNU patch 2.7.1 allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack in a patch file.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2015-1196"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2015-01-21T18:59:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "GNU patch 2.7.1 allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack in a patch file.",
"id": "GHSA-pgg8-q7hj-8mg8",
"modified": "2022-05-14T02:06:32Z",
"published": "2022-05-14T02:06:32Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1196"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=775227"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1182154"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/99967"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/patch.git/commit/?id=4e9269a5fc1fe80a1095a92593dd85db871e1fd3"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2015-02/msg00013.html"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2015/q1/173"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjul2015-2511963.html"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/72074"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-PH28-8H48-J3QP
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-02 03:23 – Updated: 2022-05-02 03:23iscsi_discovery in open-iscsi in SUSE openSUSE 10.3 through 11.1 and SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) 10 SP2 and 11, and other operating systems, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on an unspecified temporary file that has a predictable name.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2009-1297"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2009-10-23T18:30:00Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "iscsi_discovery in open-iscsi in SUSE openSUSE 10.3 through 11.1 and SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) 10 SP2 and 11, and other operating systems, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on an unspecified temporary file that has a predictable name.",
"id": "GHSA-ph28-8h48-j3qp",
"modified": "2022-05-02T03:23:39Z",
"published": "2022-05-02T03:23:39Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-1297"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Support/Advisories/MGASA-2012-0241"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-10/msg00001.html"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:109"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-PHG7-MGRC-J9PJ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-09-25 15:31 – Updated: 2026-09-25 15:31Improper Link Resolution Before File Access in the drag source staging path of the drag and drop protocol in kitty from 0.47.0 before 0.49.0 allows a program writing to the terminal to create files and directories at paths outside the staging directory, because subdir_data_for_drag() in kitty/dnd.c resolves a descendant of the staged item tree by constructing a path string and opening it with safe_open(path, O_DIRECTORY | O_RDONLY, 0) rather than by walking the tree one component at a time, so a client that declares two entries with the same name, the first a symlink whose target is an arbitrary absolute path and the second a directory, causes mkdirat() to fail with EEXIST, which the code ignores, and causes the subsequent path resolution to follow the symlink and return a directory descriptor outside the staging directory, which is then passed as the dirfd argument to add_payload() and used for every further create operation on that item and its descendants. Entry names are sanitised against path separators and dot components, but symlink targets are not validated. Files are created with O_CREAT | O_WRONLY | O_EXCL at mode 0644, so existing files cannot be overwritten, and directories are created with mkdirat() at mode 0755, so the attacker can create intermediate directories that did not previously exist. This results in the creation of files and directories at any path writable by the user running kitty, provided the symlink target is an existing directory.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-80430"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-09-25T14:17:19Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Improper Link Resolution Before File Access in the drag source staging path of the drag and drop protocol in kitty from 0.47.0 before 0.49.0 allows a program writing to the terminal to create files and directories at paths outside the staging directory, because subdir_data_for_drag() in kitty/dnd.c resolves a descendant of the staged item tree by constructing a path string and opening it with safe_open(path, O_DIRECTORY | O_RDONLY, 0) rather than by walking the tree one component at a time, so a client that declares two entries with the same name, the first a symlink whose target is an arbitrary absolute path and the second a directory, causes mkdirat() to fail with EEXIST, which the code ignores, and causes the subsequent path resolution to follow the symlink and return a directory descriptor outside the staging directory, which is then passed as the dirfd argument to add_payload() and used for every further create operation on that item and its descendants. Entry names are sanitised against path separators and dot components, but symlink targets are not validated. Files are created with O_CREAT | O_WRONLY | O_EXCL at mode 0644, so existing files cannot be overwritten, and directories are created with mkdirat() at mode 0755, so the attacker can create intermediate directories that did not previously exist. This results in the creation of files and directories at any path writable by the user running kitty, provided the symlink target is an existing directory.",
"id": "GHSA-phg7-mgrc-j9pj",
"modified": "2026-09-25T15:31:47Z",
"published": "2026-09-25T15:31:47Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80430"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/commit/3c3133d3399257492347f535d8d191680803b25d"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/commit/554908ed0b4d010cf9821c75449c7f7c79a6170a"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/releases/tag/v0.49.0"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://secur0.com/en/cna/cve-list/cve-2026-80430-kitty-dnd-symlink-traversal"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
"type": "CVSS_V4"
}
]
}
GHSA-PHRX-3XXQ-247H
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-07-08 18:31 – Updated: 2025-07-08 18:31Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows AppX Deployment Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-48820"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-07-08T17:15:46Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Improper link resolution before file access (\u0027link following\u0027) in Windows AppX Deployment Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.",
"id": "GHSA-phrx-3xxq-247h",
"modified": "2025-07-08T18:31:46Z",
"published": "2025-07-08T18:31:46Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-48820"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48820"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PM58-F9HW-7C82
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-03-11 18:32 – Updated: 2025-03-11 18:32Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Windows allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-25008"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-03-11T17:16:38Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Improper link resolution before file access (\u0027link following\u0027) in Microsoft Windows allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.",
"id": "GHSA-pm58-f9hw-7c82",
"modified": "2025-03-11T18:32:19Z",
"published": "2025-03-11T18:32:19Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-25008"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-25008"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PM59-739H-G5CV
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2024-09-10 18:30 – Updated: 2024-09-10 18:30Azure Network Watcher VM Agent Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2024-43470"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2024-09-10T17:15:34Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Azure Network Watcher VM Agent Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability",
"id": "GHSA-pm59-739h-g5cv",
"modified": "2024-09-10T18:30:47Z",
"published": "2024-09-10T18:30:47Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43470"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-43470"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PM7P-73V9-HMX9
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2022-05-13 01:28 – Updated: 2022-05-13 01:28The installer in PEAR before 1.9.2 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the package.xml file, related to the (1) download_dir, (2) cache_dir, (3) tmp_dir, and (4) pear-build-download directories, a different vulnerability than CVE-2007-2519.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2011-1072"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2011-03-03T01:00:00Z",
"severity": "LOW"
},
"details": "The installer in PEAR before 1.9.2 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the package.xml file, related to the (1) download_dir, (2) cache_dir, (3) tmp_dir, and (4) pear-build-download directories, a different vulnerability than CVE-2007-2519.",
"id": "GHSA-pm7p-73v9-hmx9",
"modified": "2022-05-13T01:28:45Z",
"published": "2022-05-13T01:28:45Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-1072"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/65721"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=546164"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://news.php.net/php.pear.cvs/61264"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/02/28/12"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/02/28/3"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/02/28/5"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/01/4"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/01/5"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/01/7"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/01/8"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/03/01/9"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://pear.php.net/advisory-20110228.txt"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=18056"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://secunia.com/advisories/43533"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2011-1072"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://svn.php.net/viewvc?view=revision\u0026revision=308687"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2011:187"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2011-1741.html"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/46605"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
GHSA-PMCJ-QVJ4-33XJ
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-09-08 18:33 – Updated: 2026-09-08 18:33Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2026-70563"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-09-08T18:20:08Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Improper link resolution before file access (\u0027link following\u0027) in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.",
"id": "GHSA-pmcj-qvj4-33xj",
"modified": "2026-09-08T18:33:06Z",
"published": "2026-09-08T18:33:06Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-70563"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70563"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PMGH-8J9V-4XHF
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2023-04-27 21:30 – Updated: 2024-04-04 03:43Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6 allows attackers to overwrite any file through the windowscontainers/start dockerBackendV2 API by controlling the data-root field inside the DaemonJSON field in the WindowsContainerStartRequest class. This allows exploiting a symlink vulnerability in ..\dataRoot\network\files\local-kv.db because of a TOCTOU race condition.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2022-38730"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-367",
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2023-04-27T20:15:40Z",
"severity": "MODERATE"
},
"details": "Docker Desktop for Windows before 4.6 allows attackers to overwrite any file through the windowscontainers/start dockerBackendV2 API by controlling the data-root field inside the DaemonJSON field in the WindowsContainerStartRequest class. This allows exploiting a symlink vulnerability in ..\\dataRoot\\network\\files\\local-kv.db because of a TOCTOU race condition.",
"id": "GHSA-pmgh-8j9v-4xhf",
"modified": "2024-04-04T03:43:01Z",
"published": "2023-04-27T21:30:26Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38730"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/#docker-desktop-460"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://www.cyberark.com/resources/threat-research-blog/breaking-docker-named-pipes-systematically-docker-desktop-privilege-escalation-part-2"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
GHSA-PMM8-2C7C-CRQ2
Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-02-10 00:30 – Updated: 2026-02-10 00:30Tanium addressed a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Patch Endpoint Tools.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-15319"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [
"CWE-59"
],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2026-02-09T23:16:05Z",
"severity": "HIGH"
},
"details": "Tanium addressed a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Patch Endpoint Tools.",
"id": "GHSA-pmm8-2c7c-crq2",
"modified": "2026-02-10T00:30:31Z",
"published": "2026-02-10T00:30:31Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-15319"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://security.tanium.com/TAN-2025-021"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": [
{
"score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
"type": "CVSS_V3"
}
]
}
Mitigation MIT-48.1
Strategy: Separation of Privilege
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.
CAPEC-132: Symlink Attack
An adversary positions a symbolic link in such a manner that the targeted user or application accesses the link's endpoint, assuming that it is accessing a file with the link's name.
CAPEC-17: Using Malicious Files
An attack of this type exploits a system's configuration that allows an adversary to either directly access an executable file, for example through shell access; or in a possible worst case allows an adversary to upload a file and then execute it. Web servers, ftp servers, and message oriented middleware systems which have many integration points are particularly vulnerable, because both the programmers and the administrators must be in synch regarding the interfaces and the correct privileges for each interface.
CAPEC-35: Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files
An attack of this type exploits a system's trust in configuration and resource files. When the executable loads the resource (such as an image file or configuration file) the attacker has modified the file to either execute malicious code directly or manipulate the target process (e.g. application server) to execute based on the malicious configuration parameters. Since systems are increasingly interrelated mashing up resources from local and remote sources the possibility of this attack occurring is high.
CAPEC-76: Manipulating Web Input to File System Calls
An attacker manipulates inputs to the target software which the target software passes to file system calls in the OS. The goal is to gain access to, and perhaps modify, areas of the file system that the target software did not intend to be accessible.