CVE-2014-5260
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe (1) mkxmltype and (2) mkdtskel scripts in XML-DT before 0.64 allow local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/_xml_##### temporary file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a symlink attack vulnerability in XML-DT (XML Document Tools) affecting the mkxmltype and mkdtskel scripts in versions prior to 0.64. The scripts create temporary files in /tmp with predictable names (_xml_#####), allowing local users to manipulate these files via symlink to overwrite arbitrary system files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data<= 0.63= 0.60= 0.61= 0.62CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if XML-DT is installedLook for the mkxmltype and mkdtskel scripts in common locations such as /usr/bin/, /usr/local/bin/, or search using 'which mkxmltype mkdtskel' or 'find / -name mkxmltype -o -name mkdtskel 2>/dev/null'Affected if Either script exists on the system
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Determine the XML-DT versionCheck for version information in the script headers (head -20 on the script files), or look for a VERSION file, or check the package manager if installed via package (dpkg -l | grep xml or rpm -qa | grep xml-dt)Affected if Version is 0.63 or lower, or version cannot be determined but the scripts exist
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Inspect temp file usage in mkxmltypeOpen the mkxmltype script and search for patterns like '/tmp/_xml_' or grep for 'tmp' and '_xml_' to identify temporary file creationAffected if The script creates temp files in /tmp using predictable names like _xml_#####
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Inspect temp file usage in mkdtskelOpen the mkdtskel script and search for patterns like '/tmp/_xml_' or grep for 'tmp' and '_xml_' to identify temporary file creationAffected if The script creates temp files in /tmp using predictable names like _xml_#####
The system is affected if XML-DT version 0.63 or lower is installed and the mkxmltype or mkdtskel scripts exist with the vulnerable predictable temp file pattern (_xml_##### in /tmp).
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to XML-DT version 0.64 or later which implements secure temporary file handling, or manually patch the affected scripts to use secure temp file creation methods (e.g., mktemp with proper file permissions).
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-5260 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-5260 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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