TI-2021-13017 Aliases CVE-2021-33643 GHSA-j7g9-fcw9-wxcf

Out-of-bounds read in libtar

MEDIUM 49CWE-125Published 2022-08-09 · Updated 2026-06-23

Key facts

Attack vector: Network
Privileges required: None
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: —
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: High · None · High
Fix status: Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 2 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

An attacker who submits a crafted tar file with size in header struct being 0 may be able to trigger an calling of malloc(0) for a variable gnu_longlink, causing an out-of-bounds read.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV

EPSS 0.01876 79th percentileScored 2026-11-07

Fix Partial libtar: 1.2.21Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 1 fixed, 2 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation: None
Automatable: Yes
Technical impact: Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

Vendor	Product	Affected versions	Fixed in	Status	Source
—	libtar	before 1.2.21	1.2.21	Patch available	CNA

libtar Vendor— Affected before 1.2.21 Fixed in 1.2.21 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPE	Versions	Role	Vendor
cpe:2.3:a:feep:libtar::::::::	before 1.2.21	Vulnerable	Feep
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:20.03:sp1:::lts:::*	20.03 sp1	Vulnerable	Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:20.03:sp3:::lts:::*	20.03 sp3	Vulnerable	Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:22.03::::lts:::	22.03	Vulnerable	Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:::::::*	35	Vulnerable	Fedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:::::::*	36	Vulnerable	Fedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:::::::*	37	Vulnerable	Fedoraproject

cpe:2.3:a:feep:libtar:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 1.2.21 Vulnerable ·Feep
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:20.03:sp1:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 20.03 sp1 Vulnerable ·Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:20.03:sp3:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 20.03 sp3 Vulnerable ·Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:openatom:openeuler:22.03:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 22.03 Vulnerable ·Openatom
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 35 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:36:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 36 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 37 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject

Remediation

Fix · CNA libtar Fixed in 1.2.21

Red Hat 1 advisory

RHSA-2023:2898 Released 2023-05-16 · Red Hat rating Moderate
libtar security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) libtar-1.2.20-17.el8

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

Advisory · 2022-08-09
libtar — FEDORA-2022-88772d0a2d
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 3 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-13018 Out-of-bounds read in libtarPriority LOW 38
- TI-2021-13020 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
- TI-2021-13019 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
Show all 4 records → Advisory →
Advisory · 2022-08-09
libtar — FEDORA-2022-fe1a4e3cf0
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 3 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-13018 Out-of-bounds read in libtarPriority LOW 38
- TI-2021-13020 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
- TI-2021-13019 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
Show all 4 records → Advisory →

Show 3 more groups

Advisory · 2022-08-09
libtar — FEDORA-2022-44a20bba43
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 3 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-13018 Out-of-bounds read in libtarPriority LOW 38
- TI-2021-13020 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
- TI-2021-13019 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
Show all 4 records → Advisory →
Advisory · 2022-08-09
libtar — FEDORA-2022-ccc68b06cc
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 3 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-13018 Out-of-bounds read in libtarPriority LOW 38
- TI-2021-13020 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
- TI-2021-13019 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
Show all 4 records → Advisory →
Advisory · 2022-08-09
libtar — FEDORA-2022-50e8a1b51d
4 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 3 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-13018 Out-of-bounds read in libtarPriority LOW 38
- TI-2021-13020 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
- TI-2021-13019 Memory leak in libtarPriority LOW 37
Show all 4 records → Advisory →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Product	Status	Plan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	Affected	No fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7	Affected	No fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8)	Fixed	RHSA-2023:2898

Timeline

2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-33643
2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-j7g9-fcw9-wxcf

References

Advisory 6

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences