CVE-2026-78254
Description
A flaw was found in Apache Ant. The ftp and scp tasks, used for downloading files, are vulnerable to a path traversal issue. A malicious remote server can exploit this by providing specially crafted relative paths, allowing it to write files outside the intended download directory. This could lead to an attacker overwriting arbitrary files on the system with the permissions of the user running Ant, potentially compromising the system's integrity.
Statement
This Moderate impact flaw in Apache Ant's ftp and scp tasks allows an attacker to write arbitrary files outside the intended download directory. This occurs when an Ant user connects to a malicious remote server or is subject to a machine-in-the-middle attack, enabling path traversal. Successful exploitation is limited to the privileges of the user executing Ant.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability, users of Apache Ant's `scp` and `ftp` tasks should ensure that server identity checks are not bypassed. For `ftp` tasks not utilizing `ftps`, it is recommended to configure the tasks to use `ftps` to enhance security against machine-in-the-middle attacks.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.8 | N/A | 7.4 |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | High |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | None |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
The attacker may be able to create or overwrite critical files that are used to execute code, such as programs or libraries.
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Files or Directories
The attacker may be able to overwrite or create critical files, such as programs, libraries, or important data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, appending a new account at the end of a password file may allow an attacker to bypass authentication.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Files or Directories
The attacker may be able read the contents of unexpected files and expose sensitive data. If the targeted file is used for a security mechanism, then the attacker may be able to bypass that mechanism. For example, by reading a password file, the attacker could conduct brute force password guessing attacks in order to break into an account on the system.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
The attacker may be able to overwrite, delete, or corrupt unexpected critical files such as programs, libraries, or important data. This may prevent the product from working at all and in the case of protection mechanisms such as authentication, it has the potential to lock out product users.
Frequently Asked Questions
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