# CVE-2020-28949: PEAR Archive_Tar Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-28949-pear-archive-tar-deserialization-of-untrusted-data-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2022-08-25. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-28949 · Severity: critical · CVSS 7.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-08-25

PEAR Archive_Tar through 1.4.10 fails to properly sanitize stream wrappers in filenames, allowing for deserialization of untrusted data. While it blocks the 'phar:' wrapper, it fails to account for case variations like 'PHAR:' or other wrappers like 'file:', which can lead to arbitrary file overwrites or remote code execution.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-28949 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2020-28949 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 25 August 2022. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2020-28949?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 25 August 2022.

**Which products and versions are affected?** PEAR Archive_Tar through 1.4.10.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-28949?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2020-28949 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-28949?** Check whether you run PEAR Archive Tar. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- PEAR Archive_Tar through 1.4.10

## Timeline

- 2020-11-17: disclosed: Initial Debian LTS advisory date (approximate based on mailing list)
- 2022-08-25: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

## Related threats

- [Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-36193-pear-archive-tar-improper-link-resolution-vulnerability)