CVE-2025-0377 in go-slug
Summary
by MITRE • 01/21/2025
HashiCorp’s go-slug library is vulnerable to a zip-slip style attack when a non-existing user-provided path is extracted from the tar entry.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-0377 affects HashiCorp's go-slug library, which is widely used for processing and validating slug identifiers in various applications. This security flaw represents a critical directory traversal issue that allows attackers to exploit the library's handling of tar archive entries during extraction processes. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the library processes user-provided paths that do not exist within the target directory structure, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate file placement during decompression operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate path validation within the go-slug library's tar extraction logic. When processing tar entries, the library fails to properly sanitize or validate user-provided paths that contain relative path components such as ../ or ..\ sequences. This flaw enables attackers to craft malicious tar archives containing entries with paths that traverse outside the intended extraction directory. The vulnerability operates under the same principles as classic zip-slip attacks where path traversal occurs during archive extraction, but specifically impacts the go-slug library's handling of tar-based data processing. This weakness aligns with CWE-22, which categorizes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-0377 extends beyond simple file placement manipulation, as it can enable attackers to overwrite critical system files, execute arbitrary code, or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. When applications using the vulnerable go-slug library process untrusted tar archives, attackers can exploit this vulnerability to place files in unintended locations within the file system. This could lead to privilege escalation scenarios where malicious files are written to system directories, potentially allowing attackers to execute code with elevated privileges or corrupt system integrity. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where applications automatically extract tar archives from untrusted sources, such as package managers, deployment systems, or content delivery platforms that rely on the go-slug library for slug processing operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate library updates and comprehensive input validation practices. Organizations must prioritize updating their go-slug library dependencies to versions that address the path traversal flaw, typically through security patches released by HashiCorp. Additionally, implementing strict path validation during tar extraction processes can provide defense-in-depth measures that prevent malicious path components from being processed. The implementation of secure coding practices such as canonicalizing paths, performing thorough input sanitization, and restricting extraction to predetermined safe directories should be enforced across all applications utilizing this library. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime monitoring and anomaly detection mechanisms to identify suspicious file placement activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of adhering to ATT&CK framework tactics such as T1059 for execution and T1078 for valid accounts, as exploitation could enable attackers to establish persistent access through file placement manipulation within system directories.