CVE-2023-7216 identifies a path traversal vulnerability in the CPIO utility bundled with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. The flaw arises because the utility improperly limits pathname resolution during archive extraction, allowing symlinks within the archive to redirect file writes outside the intended extraction directory. An attacker can create a specially crafted archive containing symlinks that point to arbitrary filesystem locations. When a user extracts this archive, the CPIO utility follows these symlinks and writes files to arbitrary directories, potentially overwriting critical system files or placing malicious files in sensitive locations. This can lead to unauthorized modification of system files, data corruption, or privilege escalation if the victim executes or loads the malicious files. The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the victim must open or extract the malicious archive. It does not require prior authentication, but the attack vector is limited to scenarios where users handle untrusted archives. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3 (medium), reflecting local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported yet. The vulnerability affects legacy RHEL 6 systems, which remain in use in some environments due to long-term support or legacy application dependencies.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-7216 can be significant in environments still running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, particularly in sectors relying on legacy systems such as manufacturing, government, and critical infrastructure. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized file writes outside intended directories, potentially compromising system integrity and confidentiality. Attackers could overwrite configuration files, implant backdoors, or disrupt services, impacting availability. Although exploitation requires user interaction, targeted phishing or social engineering campaigns could trick users into extracting malicious archives. The vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement or privilege escalation within a network if attackers leverage it to place malicious payloads. Organizations with strict compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR) may face regulatory risks if data integrity or confidentiality is compromised. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often weaponize such vulnerabilities over time.

1. Avoid extracting archives from untrusted or unknown sources, especially on systems running RHEL 6. 2. Apply any available security patches or updates from Red Hat promptly once released to address this vulnerability. 3. Implement strict filesystem permissions to limit the ability of users and processes to write outside designated directories. 4. Use sandboxing or containerization techniques when extracting archives to contain potential malicious writes. 5. Educate users about the risks of opening untrusted archives and implement email filtering to reduce phishing attempts delivering malicious archives. 6. Monitor filesystem changes and audit logs for unusual file writes or modifications outside expected directories. 7. Consider upgrading from RHEL 6 to a supported version to benefit from ongoing security updates and mitigations. 8. Employ intrusion detection systems capable of detecting suspicious archive extraction behaviors.