Path Traversal in Wkentaro Gdown
CVE-2026-40491
gdown is a Google Drive public file/folder downloader. Versions prior to 5.2.2 are vulnerable to a Path Traversal attack within the extractall functionality. When extracting a maliciously crafted ZIP or TAR archive, the library fails to sanitize or validate the filenames of the archive members. This allow files to be written outside the intended destination directory, potentially leading to arbitrary file overwrite and Remote Code Execution (RCE). Version 5.2.2 contains a fix.
Vulnerability class: Path Traversal (Directory Traversal)
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 6.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.008 (53.9th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 54th percentile — 53.9% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.006 · newest: 0.008 · change: +0.002
Affected products
- Wkentaro Gdown — versions < 5.2.2
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f (Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
- github.com/wkentaro/gdown/commit/af569fc6ed300b7974dee66dc51e9f01b57b4dff (Patch)
- github.com/wkentaro/gdown/releases/tag/v5.2.2 (Release Notes)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-40491?
- CVE-2026-40491 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Wkentaro Gdown, classified under Path Traversal. CVSS score: 6.5/10. Published 2026-04-18.
- How severe is CVE-2026-40491?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.5 out of 10.