VulnerabilityPublished 14 Jun 2023Updated 3 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-2976: Google Guava · Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions

Affects Google GuavaSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 32.0.0 : update Google Guava when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 32.0.0

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 14 Jun 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Mavencom.google.guava/guava`pkg:maven/com.google.guava/guava`Other threats	Affected =1.0 <=31.1	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately upgrade all instances of Google Guava to version 32.0.1, which contains the fix for this vulnerability and resolves Windows compatibility issues found in 32.0.0. For environments where immediate upgrade is not feasible, organizations should restrict access to the Java temporary directory to trusted users and processes only, minimizing the risk of unauthorized file access. Implementing strict filesystem permissions and using isolated temporary directories per application or user can reduce exposure. Additionally, developers should audit their use of FileBackedOutputStream and consider alternative secure temporary file handling mechanisms that explicitly set restrictive permissions. Monitoring and logging access to temporary directories can help detect suspicious activity. For Android applications, ensure that the app sandboxing and file storage permissions are correctly configured to prevent other apps from accessing temporary files. Finally, incorporate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patching workflows to ensure timely updates across all affected systems.

Description

Use of Java's default temporary directory for file creation in `FileBackedOutputStream` in Google Guava versions 1.0 to 31.1 on Unix systems and Android Ice Cream Sandwich allows other users and apps on the machine with access to the default Java temporary directory to be able to access the files created by the class. Even though the security vulnerability is fixed in version 32.0.0, we recommend using version 32.0.1 as version 32.0.0 breaks some functionality under Windows.

Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-2976 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data through temporary files created by applications using vulnerable Guava versions. This risk is heightened in multi-tenant environments, shared Unix servers, or Android devices where multiple users or applications have access to the same temporary directory. Confidentiality breaches could lead to exposure of sensitive business information, intellectual property, or personal data, potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. While the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or system availability, the loss of confidentiality can damage organizational reputation and lead to regulatory penalties. Organizations relying on Guava in backend services, middleware, or Android apps should assess their exposure, especially if these systems handle sensitive or regulated data. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised accounts could leverage this vulnerability. Given the widespread use of Guava in Java applications across Europe, the vulnerability poses a moderate risk that should be addressed promptly to prevent data leakage.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 4 Nov 2025, 00:14 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats