CVE-2019-9923

Name: CVE-2019-9923
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-03-22T08:29:00.247+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 3.03%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-9923 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended headers.. EPSS estimates a 3.03% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended headers.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

3.03%

85.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gnu	Tar	< 1.32
Opensuse	Leap	15.0

References

http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=cb07844454d8cc9fb21f53ace75975f91185a120Mailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55369Permissions Required, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tar/+bug/1810241Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=cb07844454d8cc9fb21f53ace75975f91185a120Mailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55369Permissions Required, Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tar/+bug/1810241Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E

Timeline

Published: Mar 22, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-9923?

pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended headers.

How severe is CVE-2019-9923?

CVE-2019-9923 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.03% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-9923?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-9923?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST