CVE-2022-37705: A privilege escalation flaw was found in Amanda 3.5.1 in which the backup user can acquire root privileges. The vulnerable component is the runtar SUI...

Description

A privilege escalation flaw was found in Amanda 3.5.1 in which the backup user can acquire root privileges. The vulnerable component is the runtar SUID program, which is a wrapper to run /usr/bin/tar with specific arguments that are controllable by the attacker. This program mishandles the arguments passed to tar binary (it expects that the argument name and value are separated with a space; however, separating them with an equals sign is also supported),

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.7/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.25%

65.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-88

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Zmanda	Amanda	3.5.1

References

Timeline

Published: Apr 16, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-37705?

A privilege escalation flaw was found in Amanda 3.5.1 in which the backup user can acquire root privileges. The vulnerable component is the runtar SUID program, which is a wrapper to run /usr/bin/tar with specific arguments that are controllable by the attacker. This program mishandles the arguments passed to tar binary (it expects that the argument name and value are separated with a space; however, separating them with an equals sign is also supported),

How severe is CVE-2022-37705?

CVE-2022-37705 has a CVSS score of 6.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.25% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2022-37705?

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.