CVE-2020-26279

Path traversal in github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs

Workarounds

Upgrade to go-ipfs 0.8 or later.

References

Binaries for the patched versions of go-ipfs are available on the IPFS distributions site, https://dist.ipfs.io/go-ipfs

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in go-ipfs
• Email us at [email protected]

It is currently possible for path traversal to occur with DAGs containing relative paths during retrieval. This can cause files to be overwritten, or written to incorrect output directories. The issue can only occur when ipfs get is done on an affected DAG.

1. The only affected command is ipfs get.
2. The gateway is not affected.

Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.

CVE-2020-26279 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.8.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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Traversal fix patched in https://github.com/whyrusleeping/tar-utils/commit/20a61371de5b51380bbdb0c7935b30b0625ac227
tar-utils patch applied to go-ipfs via https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commit/b7ddba7fe47dee5b1760b8ffe897908417e577b2

1. What is CVE-2020-26279? CVE-2020-26279 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs (go), affecting versions < 0.8.0. It is fixed in 0.8.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-26279? CVE-2020-26279 has a CVSS score of 7.7 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs are affected by CVE-2020-26279? github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs (go) versions < 0.8.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-26279? Yes. CVE-2020-26279 is fixed in 0.8.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-26279 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-26279 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-26279 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-26279? Upgrade github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs to 0.8.0 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs