# CVE-2001-1593: CVE-2001-1593

Status: published. Published: 2014-04-05. Updated: 2026-11-12.

The tempname_ensure function in lib/routines.h in a2ps 4.14 and earlier, as used by the spy_user function and possibly other functions, allows local users to modify arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- gnu / a2ps: ≤ 4.14 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- gnu / a2ps: 4.10.3 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- gnu / a2ps: 4.10.4 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- gnu / a2ps: 4.12 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- gnu / a2ps: 4.13 (affected, custom). Source: NVD
- gnu / a2ps: 4.13b (affected, custom). Source: NVD

## NVD configuration conditions

Affected CPE matches depend on the following AND/OR and negation conditions:

```json
[
  {
    "negate": false,
    "nodes": [
      {
        "cpeMatch": [
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "versionEndIncluding": "4.14",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:4.10.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:4.10.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:4.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:gnu:a2ps:4.13b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true
          }
        ],
        "negate": false,
        "operator": "OR"
      }
    ],
    "operator": "OR"
  }
]
```

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 2.0: 2.1 (low); AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N; source: NVD: nvd@nist.gov

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: Not available

- SSVC: Not available

- Weaknesses: CWE-59

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/a2ps.git/plain/a2ps-4.13-security.patch (cve@mitre.org)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/237 (cve@mitre.org)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/253 (cve@mitre.org)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/257 (cve@mitre.org)

- http://www.debian.org/security/2014/dsa-2892 (cve@mitre.org)

- https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=737385 (cve@mitre.org)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1060630 (cve@mitre.org)

- http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/a2ps.git/plain/a2ps-4.13-security.patch (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/237 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/253 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2014/q1/257 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- http://www.debian.org/security/2014/dsa-2892 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=737385 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1060630 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

## Provenance

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2001-1593; retrieved 2026-11-12; source updated 2026-11-12

Revision: edebf76a70c6dbc57e5f0a034ca496e98a2eb3f400fe1121de723fac40eeff3c

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2001-1593

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