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Tar CVE-2026-26960

HIGH
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-02-20 security-advisories@github.com GHSA-83g3-92jg-28cx
Node.js D-Link Red Hat Tar Suse Isaacs
7.1
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Create malicious tar archive with hardlink
  2. Exploit
    User extracts archive with node-tar ≤7.5.7
  3. Execution
    Hardlink bypasses extraction directory bounds
  4. Impact
    Read/write arbitrary files outside root

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
CWE-22
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.

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Exploitation Conditions

node-tar versions 7.5.7 and below with default extraction options; user must manually extract attacker-controlled tar archive via tar.extract() without custom path validation
Impact

CVSS 7.1 (HIGH). Attack vector: Local. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: Required. Public exploit/POC available.
Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Path traversal in node-tar versions 7.5.7 and earlier allows local attackers to read and write arbitrary files outside the extraction directory by crafting malicious tar archives containing hardlinks that bypass extraction path validation. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, which affects default extraction configurations in Node.js and related Tar implementations. The vulnerability has been patched in node-tar 7.5.8.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 22:04 CVSS 7.1

node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. When using default options in versions 7.5.7 and below, an attacker-controlled archive can create a hardlink inside the extraction directory that points to a file outside the extraction root, enabling arbitrary file read and write as the extracting user. [CVSS 7.1 HIGH]

RemediationAI

A vendor patch is available — apply it immediately. Fixed in version 7.5.8.. Validate and sanitize file path inputs. Use allowlists.

Affected Packages

npm tar fix: 7.5.8

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in npm

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

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Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-22 (Path Traversal). Affects Tar. node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. When using default options in versions 7.5.7 and below, an attacker-controlled archive can create a hardlink inside the extraction directory that points to a file outside the extraction root, enabling arbitrary file read and write as the extracting user. Severity is high because the primitive bypasses path protections and turns archive extraction into a direct filesystem access primitive. This issue has been fixed in version 7.5.8.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.1 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
SUSE HIGH
Red Hat 7.1 MEDIUM

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
PoC Detected
Feb 20, 2026 - 19:24 vuln.today
Public exploit code
Patch released
Feb 20, 2026 - 19:24 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Feb 20, 2026 - 02:16 nvd
HIGH 7.1

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. When using default options in versions 7.5.7 and below, an attacker-controlled archive can create a hardlink inside the extraction directory that points to a file outside the extraction root, enabling arbitrary file read and write as the extracting user. Severity is high because the primitive bypasses path protections and turns archive extraction into a direct filesystem access primitive. This issue has been fixed in version 7.5.8.

Blast Radius

ecosystem impact
† from your stack dependencies † transitive graph · vuln.today resolves 4-path depth
  • 31 npm packages depend on tar (20 direct, 11 indirect)

Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 7.5.8.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-26960 affects node-tar, a widely-used Node.js library, allowing attackers to read and write arbitrary files on systems using vulnerable versions through malicious tar archives. Any organization using node-tar 7.5.7 or earlier in production environments faces immediate risk of data exfiltration and system compromise if processing untrusted archives.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Restrict tar extraction to trusted, pre-validated archives only; (2) Run extraction processes in containerized/sandboxed environments with minimal filesystem permissions; (3) Implement file integrity monitoring on systems processing tar files; (4) Network segmentation to limit lateral movement from compromised extraction processes.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 98% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium
NVD CVE.org EPSS Vendor GitHub

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.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

56
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:isaacs:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

More in Tar

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Arbitrary file overwrite in node-tar before 7.5.10 lets a malicious tar archive write files outside the intended extract
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CVE-2021-38511 HIGH POC
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An issue was discovered in the tar crate before 0.4.36 for Rust. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is r
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The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 6.1.1, 5.0.6, 4.4.14, and 3.3.2 has a arbitrary File Creation/Overw
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node-tar is a Tar for Node.js. Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.5), this vulnerability is remotely exploitable, no authenti
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5.9 Jan 20

Symlink poisoning via race condition in node-tar up to version 7.5.3 allows attackers to exploit Unicode normalization o
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The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 6.1.2, 5.0.7, 4.4.15, and 3.2.3 has an arbitrary File Creation/Over
CVE-2021-37701 HIGH
8.6 Aug 31

The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 4.4.16, 5.0.8, and 6.1.7 has an arbitrary file creation/overwrite a
CVE-2018-20482 MEDIUM POC
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GNU Tar through 1.30, when --sparse is used, mishandles file shrinkage during read access, which allows local users to c
CVE-2021-37713 HIGH
8.6 Aug 31

The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 4.4.18, 5.0.10, and 6.1.9 has an arbitrary file creation/overwrite

Same weakness CWE-22 – Path Traversal

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CVE-2019-3396 CRITICAL POC
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CVE-2019-19781 CRITICAL POC
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CVE-2020-5902 CRITICAL POC
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CVE-2021-21972 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2021-40444 HIGH POC
8.8
CVE-2022-41352 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2021-27065 HIGH POC
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CVE-2019-11510 CRITICAL POC
10.0

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Web and Scripting 15 SP7 Fixed

References

Advisories & patches
PATCH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/2cb1120bcefe28d7ecc719b41441ade59c52e384 PATCH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/d18e4e1f846f4ddddc153b0f536a19c050e7499f ADVISORY https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:5447 ADVISORY https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:6192 ADVISORY https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:6428

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