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PEAR · Archive_Tar

CVE-2020-28949

PEAR Archive_Tar Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability

CISA KEV record

CISA date added
2022-08-25
CISA due date
2022-09-15
Known ransomware use
Unknown

NVD risk context

7.8 HIGH

CVSS is a technical severity score. CISA’s KEV status remains the evidence that this vulnerability is known to be exploited.

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Attack vector
Local
An attacker needs local access to the affected system.
Attack complexity
Low
Exploitation does not require unusual conditions beyond normal attacker control.
Privileges required
None
The attacker does not need an existing account or privileges.
User interaction
Required
A user must take an action, such as opening a file or link.

Description

PEAR Archive_Tar allows an unserialization attack because phar: is blocked but PHAR: is not blocked. PEAR stands for PHP Extension and Application Repository and it is an open-source framework and distribution system for reusable PHP components with known usage in third-party products such as Drupal Core and Red Hat Linux.

Required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

NVD reference index

Vendor and remediation references

NVD has tagged these sources as vendor advisories, patches, mitigations, or release notes.

Other NVD references (12)

MITRE CWE context

CWE classification

CWE-74 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')

The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.

View official MITRE CWE details ↗

NVD record timing

NVD record timeline

These dates describe NVD’s record, not CISA’s KEV addition or remediation due date.

NVD published
Nov 19, 2020, 07:15 PM UTC
When NVD first published this CVE record.
NVD last updated
Jun 17, 2026, 03:10 AM UTC
When NVD last changed its analysis or record data.
Advanced: view the technical CVSS vector

This standardized code is intended for security tools and technical analysts. The plain-language risk summary above explains its main points.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

View NVD record ↗

CISA notes

https://pear.php.net/bugs/bug.php?id=27002, https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2020-013, https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2020-28949; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-28949