Ubuntu LinuxOperating system · Canonical
CVE-2017-6512
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 · uneditedRace condition in the rmtree and remove_tree functions in the File-Path module before 2.13 for Perl allows attackers to set the mode on arbitrary files via vectors involving directory-permission loosening logic.
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 · moderate confidenceA race condition exists in Perl's File::Path module (versions before 2.13) in the rmtree and remove_tree functions. During directory removal, the code temporarily loosens directory permissions to facilitate deletion. An attacker can exploit the timing window in this permission-loosening logic to set mode flags on arbitrary files on the system.
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
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
= 12.04= 14.04= 16.04= 17.10
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 8.0= 9.0< 2.13CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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 installed File::Path module versionRun 'perl -MFile::Path -e 'print $File::Path::VERSION'' or 'perl -MFile::Path::Version' to retrieve the module versionAffected if Version is less than 2.13 (e.g., 2.12, 2.11, etc.)
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Check Perl interpreter availabilityRun 'perl --version' to confirm Perl is installed on the systemAffected if Perl is installed and File::Path version is below 2.13
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Verify OS distribution and versionRun 'lsb_release -a' on Ubuntu or 'cat /etc/debian_version' on Debian to identify the OS versionAffected if Running Ubuntu 12.04, 14.04, 16.04, or 17.10, or Debian 8.0 or 9.0, with vulnerable File::Path version
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Identify use of rmtree or remove_tree in scriptsSearch Perl scripts for 'rmtree' or 'remove_tree' patterns using 'grep -r "rmtree\|remove_tree" /path/to/scripts/'Affected if Scripts or applications use rmtree or remove_tree functions and File::Path version is below 2.13
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Check for untrusted input handling in rmtree/remove_tree callsReview code for rmtree/remove_tree calls that process user-controlled paths or directory namesAffected if The rmtree/remove_tree functions process directories with permissions that could be exploited during the timing window
The environment is affected if File::Path module version is below 2.13 AND the system runs the affected Ubuntu/Debian versions AND Perl scripts use rmtree or remove_tree functions on directories that could be manipulated by an attacker.
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 data2.13
Upgrade File::Path module to version 2.13 or later. Conduct code review to identify all uses of rmtree/remove_tree in the application and verify the updated module is properly integrated.
Fix this in Ubuntu Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,936.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-6512 — 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-2017-6512 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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