Path Traversal in Archive\ \
CVE-2026-42496
Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract symlinks with attacker controlled targets outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to symlink() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments. The secure-extract mode check that guards regular file extraction does not cover the symlink target. A subsequent open through the extracted name reads or writes the attacker chosen path.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.1 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.005 (41.5th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 41st percentile — 41.5% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.004 · newest: 0.005 · change: +0.001
Affected products
- Archive\ \ — versions tar_project
- Archive\:\:tar Project
- Bingos Archive::tar — versions 0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- 9b29abf9-4ab0-4765-b253-1875cd9b441e (Patch, patch)
- 9b29abf9-4ab0-4765-b253-1875cd9b441e (release-notes, Release Notes)
- 9b29abf9-4ab0-4765-b253-1875cd9b441e (related, Third Party Advisory)
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
- 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-42496?
- CVE-2026-42496 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Archive\ \, classified under Improper Link Resolution Before File Access. CVSS score: 9.1/10. Published 2026-05-26.
- How severe is CVE-2026-42496?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.1 out of 10.