# CVE-2020-36193: Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-36193-pear-archive-tar-improper-link-resolution-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2021-04-22. Updated: 2026-05-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-36193 · Severity: critical · CVSS 3.1 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2021-04-22

PEAR Archive_Tar through 1.4.11 is vulnerable to directory traversal during write operations. The flaw exists in Tar.php due to inadequate validation of symbolic links, allowing an attacker to write files to arbitrary locations outside the intended directory.

Technologies: [pear/archive_tar (Packagist)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pear-archive-tar). Vendors: [Packagist](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/packagist).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-36193 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2020-36193 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 25 August 2022. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2020-36193?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 22 April 2021.

**Which products and versions are affected?** pear/archive_tar (Packagist) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=1.4.13.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-36193?** Yes. pear/archive_tar (Packagist): upgrade to 1.4.13 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2020-36193 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-36193?** Check whether you run pear/archive_tar (Packagist) or PEAR Archive Tar at an affected version. 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.

## How to fix

- pear/archive_tar (Packagist): upgrade to 1.4.13 or later

  ```sh
  composer require pear/archive_tar:^1.4.13
  ```


## Affected products

- PEAR Archive_Tar through 1.4.11
- Drupal Core
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux

## Identifiers

- CVE-2020-36193
- GHSA-rpw6-9xfx-jvcx

## Timeline

- 2021-01-18: patched: Patch committed to GitHub repository.
- 2022-08-25: disclosed: Vulnerability published.
- 2022-08-25: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
- 2022-08-25: exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild.

## Related threats

- [Archive_Tar contains Potential RCE if filename starts with phar://](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-1000888-archive-tar-contains-potential-rce-if-filename-starts-with-phar)
- [PEAR Archive_Tar Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-28949-pear-archive-tar-deserialization-of-untrusted-data-vulnerability)
- [PEAR::Archive_Tar Directory Traversal vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2006-0931-pear-archive-tar-directory-traversal-vulnerability)
- [Directory Traversal in Archive_Tar](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2021-32610-drupal-core-2021-004-the-drupal-project-uses-the-pear-archive-tar)
- [Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Archive_Tar](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-28948-drupal-core-2020-013-the-drupal-project-uses-the-pear-archive-tar)