Vulnerability in Axel Download Accelerator
CVE-2026-118485
Axel Download Accelerator 2.17.14 and earlier performs URL percent-decoding (http_decode()) on the output filename after the URL has been parsed and the filename component extracted. This allows an attacker to embed %2e%2e%2f (URL-encoded ../) sequences in the URL path. These sequences survive the URL parser intact (they contain no literal / characters) but are decoded into directory traversal sequences before the output file is opened for writing. As a result, a crafted URL can cause axel to write downloaded content to arbitrary filesystem paths relative to the current working directory.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
No EPSS score from FIRST.org yet. New CVEs usually get one within a few days; no score means no signal yet, not low risk. How EPSS works.
Affected products
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- 6064c9f1-42e5-4cc5-a67a-1636d7a9d3fd (issue-tracking)
- 6064c9f1-42e5-4cc5-a67a-1636d7a9d3fd (patch)
- 6064c9f1-42e5-4cc5-a67a-1636d7a9d3fd (vendor-advisory)
- 6064c9f1-42e5-4cc5-a67a-1636d7a9d3fd (third-party-advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-118485?
- CVE-2026-118485 is a high-severity vulnerability in Axel Download Accelerator, classified under CWE-24. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2026-10-28.
- How severe is CVE-2026-118485?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.