---
id: CVE-2019-9923
title: >-
  pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer
  dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended
  headers.
summary: >-
  pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer
  dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended
  headers.
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-476
  - CWE-476
vendor: gnu
product: tar
affected:
  - tar < 1.32
  - leap = 15.0
patched:
  - tar 1.32
published: '2019-03-22'
updated: '2026-10-14'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-14T07:16:58.637'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9923'
references:
  - url: >-
      http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=cb07844454d8cc9fb21f53ace75975f91185a120
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.html'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55369'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: 'https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tar/+bug/1810241'
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
    label: cve@mitre.org
  - url: >-
      http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/tar.git/commit/?id=cb07844454d8cc9fb21f53ace75975f91185a120
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00077.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55369'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tar/+bug/1810241'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.03028
epssPercentile: 0.87151
ingestedAt: '2026-10-14T07:21:04.809Z'
---

## Overview

pax_decode_header in sparse.c in GNU Tar before 1.32 had a NULL pointer dereference when parsing certain archives that have malformed extended headers.

## Affected

- `tar < 1.32`
- `leap = 15.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `tar 1.32`