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CVE Record

CVE-2017-7501: It was found that versions of rpm before 4.13.0.2 use temporary files with predictable names when installin...

It was found that versions of rpm before 4.13.0.2 use temporary files with predictable names when installing an RPM. An attacker with ability to write in a directory where files will be installed could create symbolic links to an arbitrary location and modify content, and possibly permissions to arbitrary files, which could be used for denial of service or possibly privilege escalation.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2017-7501 affects rpm package installation before version 4.13.0.2. During installation, rpm used predictable temporary filenames. If an attacker can write where files are being installed, they may redirect installation writes through symbolic links, damaging files or possibly escalating privileges.

Executive priority

Treat as a maintenance-priority Linux platform issue. It is not documented as actively exploited, but affected build hosts or shared systems could turn local write access into file tampering or privilege risk.

Technical view

The issue is CWE-59: improper link following. rpm used predictable temporary files while installing an RPM, enabling a local attacker with write access to an installation target directory to pre-create symbolic links to arbitrary locations and influence file content or permissions.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on Linux systems or container images using rpm versions before 4.13.0.2, especially where package installation writes into directories writable by untrusted local users or build processes.

Exploitation context

The supplied sources do not show active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. Exploitation requires local or build-environment write access to a directory where rpm will install files.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE description, affected rpm version range, Gentoo advisory reference, and upstream rpm commit. No CVSS vector, exploit status, or detailed vendor remediation matrix was provided in the bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade rpm to 4.13.0.2 or a vendor-fixed backport.
  • Check Gentoo, Red Hat, or distribution advisories for supported package versions.
  • Restrict untrusted write access to package installation target directories.
  • Avoid installing packages into shared or user-writable paths.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory rpm versions across hosts, images, and build environments.
  • Confirm vendor package metadata includes a fix for CVE-2017-7501.
  • Review writable permissions on directories used as installation targets.
  • Prioritize systems performing package installs with elevated privileges.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-59: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

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description · low confidence lookup

Privilege behavior lookup

The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2017-7501 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
5Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
Red Hat, Inc.rpmbefore 4.13.0.2Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-59

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-59 · source CWE mapping

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

Open CWE intelligenceSame-CWE CVEs