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Vulnerability record · CVE-2026-42497 · published 26 May 2026

CVE-2026-42497: Archive\ \ link following vulnerability

AArchive\ · \

Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract hardlinks to attacker controlled paths outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to link() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments, creating a hardlink that shares the victim file's inode. A subsequent write through the extracted name modifies the victim file, and the post-extraction chmod, chown, and utime block in _extract_file() (guarded only against symlinks via -l) applies the tar header's mode, owner, and timestamps to the shared inode during extraction alone.

7.5 CVSS 3.1 High EPSS 0.47% · top 61.8% CWE-59 · Link followingCWE-732 · Incorrect permission assignment
7.5CVSS 3.1 base score
0.47%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
3References
24 Jul 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract hardlinks to attacker controlled paths outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to link() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments, creating a hardlink that shares the victim file's inode. A subsequent write through the extracted name modifies the victim file, and the post-extraction chmod, chown, and utime block in _extract_file() (guarded only against symlinks via -l) applies the tar header's mode, owner, and timestamps to the shared inode during extraction alone.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

9.1CVE-2026-42496Archive\ \ link following vulnerabilityArchive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract symlinks with attacker controlled targets outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() p…EPSS 0.51%7.5CVE-2026-9538Archive\ \ vulnerabilityArchive::Tar versions before 3.10 for Perl allow memory exhaustion via attacker controlled entry size field in tar header. _read_tar() reads each ent…EPSS 0.56%7.5CVE-2018-12015Canonical ubuntu linux link following vulnerabilityIn Perl through 5.26.2, the Archive::Tar module allows remote attackers to bypass a directory-traversal protection mechanism, and overwrite arbitrary…EPSS 7.3%6.8CVE-2007-4829Archive\ \ path traversal vulnerabilityDirectory traversal vulnerability in the Archive::Tar Perl module 1.36 and earlier allows user-assisted remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files…EPSS 4.3%7.8CVE-2026-81963Windows Update Stack link-following privilege escalationWindows Update Stack resolves links improperly before accessing files, a link-following flaw (CWE-59) compounded by improper access control (CWE-284)…KEVEPSS 0.39%analysed7.8CVE-2015-5287ABRT abrt-hook-ccpp symlink privilege escalationThe abrt-hook-ccpp helper in Red Hat's Automatic Bug Reporting Tool (ABRT) before 2.7.1 follows symlinks on files with predictable names, letting a l…KEVEPSS 5.0%analysed7.8CVE-2026-41091Microsoft Defender link following allows local privilege elevationMicrosoft Defender's malware protection engine resolves links improperly before accessing files, a link-following flaw (CWE-59). A local attacker wit…KEVEPSS 0.44%analysed7.2CVE-2024-57728SimpleHelp zip slip path traversal allows arbitrary file write and code executionSimpleHelp remote support software v5.5.7 and earlier lets admin users upload a crafted zip file that writes files anywhere on the file system via zi…KEVEPSS 65%analysed

Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2026-42497), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.