Guarddog
CVE-2026-22871
CRITICAL
GHSA-xg9w-vg3g-6m68
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessPublish malicious PyPI package
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DeliveryGuardDog downloads and extracts package
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ExploitPath traversal in safe_extract() writes files outside directory
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ExecutionArbitrary files overwritten on system
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ImpactRemote code execution achieved
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | GuardDog versions prior to 2.7.1 must analyze a malicious PyPI package containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../ paths) in the package structure. No authentication or special configuration required; exploitation occurs during standard package analysis workflow. |
| Impact | CVSS 9.8 (Critical). No auth, network vector. The irony: a security tool designed to detect malicious packages is itself vulnerable to malicious packages. EPSS 0.63%. Patch available. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker publishes a malicious PyPI package. When GuardDog scans it, the archive extracts files to ~/.bashrc or a cron directory, achieving code execution on the security researcher's machine. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026
GuardDog security scanner before 2.7.1 has a path traversal in safe_extract() that allows malicious PyPI packages to write files outside the extraction directory. Ironic vulnerability in a tool designed to detect malicious packages. Patch available.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
GuardDog malicious package scanner has path traversal enabling the very packages it scans to achieve RCE.
RemediationAI
Update to GuardDog 2.7.1. Run security scanners in isolated containers.
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in pypi
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The safe_extract() function does not properly validate paths in archive entries (CWE-22). A malicious PyPI package can include files with traversal sequences (../../) that write to arbitrary locations when GuardDog extracts the package for analysis.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from GitHub Advisory · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionGitHub Advisory
GuardDog is a CLI tool to identify malicious PyPI packages. Prior to 2.7.1, there is a path traversal vulnerability exists in GuardDog's safe_extract() function that allows malicious PyPI packages to write arbitrary files outside the intended extraction directory, leading to Arbitrary File Overwrite and Remote Code Execution on systems running GuardDog. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.7.1.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using GuardDog face critical risk from CVE-2026-22871, a path traversal vulnerability rated CVSS 9.8. This could allow attackers to access or modify files outside intended directories, potentially exposing sensitive configuration or credentials. A patch is available and should be applied immediately given the critical severity.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Restrict file upload functionality via WAF; (2) Implement allowlist-based file type validation; (3) Use chroot/containerization to limit filesystem access.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory
GuardDog versions prior to 2.7.1 fail to validate decompressed file sizes when extracting Python package archives, enabl
GuardDog is a CLI tool to identify malicious PyPI packages. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remo
GuardDog is a CLI tool to identify malicious PyPI packages. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no aut
Exploit-DB