CVE-2004-1349: gzip before 1.3 in Solaris 8, when called with the -f or -force flags, will change the permissions of files...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2004-1349 is an old Solaris 8 gzip flaw. When gzip before 1.3 is forced to overwrite a file, it can also change permissions on hard-linked files, letting local users view or modify files they should not access. Exposure is most likely on legacy Solaris 8 systems using affected gzip versions, especially multi-user hosts or scripts that run gzip with force options on shared, linked, or privileged files. Prioritize if Solaris 8 remains in production or supports shared local accounts. For retired or isolated systems, track as legacy hygiene. The business concern is unauthorized local access, not internet-scale remote compromise. Mitigation focus: Identify Solaris 8 systems still running gzip before 1.3.; Review Sun/Oracle guidance before selecting a vendor-approved update or workaround.; Avoid using gzip -f or -force on hard-linked or privileged files..

Prepared

Jun 30, 2026, 01:38 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.