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CVE-2021-20197

Published: Mar 26, 2021Updated: Dec 3, 2025 Sources: CVE List NVD BDUCWE-59
NVD MITRE
6.3CVSSMEDIUM
EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 77.9%
CISA KEV
Not in KEV
Exploits
No Known Exploits
Remediation
Patch Available

Description

There is an open race window when writing output in the following utilities in GNU binutils version 2.35 and earlier:ar, objcopy, strip, ranlib. When these utilities are run as a privileged user (presumably as part of a script updating binaries across different users), an unprivileged user can trick these utilities into getting ownership of arbitrary files through a symlink.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:LAC:HPR:LUI:NS:UC:HI:HA:N
Exploitability
AV:LAttack Vector
Local
AC:HAttack Complexity
High
PR:LPrivileges Required
Low
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:UScope
Unchanged
Impact
C:HConfidentiality
High
I:HIntegrity
High
A:NAvailability
None
Open in CVSS calculator →

Weaknesses

CWE-59CWE-362

Affected Products

binutilsgnuOSS Libraries
enterprise linuxredhat
On-premOS
Operating Systems / linux-distro
cloud backupnetappHardware Firmware
ontap select deploy administration utilitynetappHardware Firmware
solidfire \& hci management nodenetappHardware Firmware
gnuoss-projectUSOSS Librariesaka g. nu
redhatcommercialUSOperating Systemsaka red hat
netappcommercialUSHardware Firmware
and 5 more affected products View all →

Attack Graph

Products CVE Techniques Tactics

Click technique nodes to view MITRE ATT&CK details. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan.

Exploitability

Official Patch Available

MITRE ATT&CK

3 techniques
Collection
Discovery
Privilege Escalation
View detailed technique mapping

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1913743
bugzilla.redhat.com
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-30
security.gentoo.org
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210528-0009/
security.netapp.com
and 4 more references View all →

Timeline

Published
Mar 26, 2021
Last Updated
Dec 3, 2025

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