Zed
CVE-2026-27976
HIGH
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCreate tar with symlink pointing outside workdir
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DeliveryTrigger extension installation via UI
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ExploitUnpack archive without symlink validation
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ExecutionWrite files through symlink to arbitrary paths
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code on host
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling UNIX symlink resolution
|
| Exploitation Conditions | User must initiate extension installation from attacker-controlled tar/gzip source. Zed extension installer enabled with default path validation (lexical-only checks without symlink resolution in writeable_path_from_extension function). Version prior to 0.224.4 required. |
| Impact | CVSS 8.8 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. 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. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026
Zed, a code editor, has an extension installer allows tar/gzip downloads. [CVSS 8.8 HIGH]
RemediationAI
Monitor vendor advisories for a patch. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.
Affects your stack
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Technical ContextAI · show details
Affects Zed. Zed, a code editor, has an extension installer allows tar/gzip downloads. Prior to version 0.224.4, the tar extractor (async_tar::Archive::unpack) creates symlinks from the archive without validation, and the path guard (writeable_path_from_extension) only performs lexical prefix checks without resolving symlinks. An attacker can ship a tar that first creates a symlink inside the extension workdir pointing outside (e.g., escape -> /), then writes files through the symlink, causing writes t
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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:R/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
Zed, a code editor, has an extension installer allows tar/gzip downloads. Prior to version 0.224.4, the tar extractor (async_tar::Archive::unpack) creates symlinks from the archive without validation, and the path guard (writeable_path_from_extension) only performs lexical prefix checks without resolving symlinks. An attacker can ship a tar that first creates a symlink inside the extension workdir pointing outside (e.g., escape -> /), then writes files through the symlink, causing writes to arbitrary host paths. This escapes the extension sandbox and enables code execution. Version 0.224.4 patches the issue.
Executive ViewAI
Zed code editor users are vulnerable to arbitrary code execution through malicious tar/gzip files downloaded via the extension installer, with active public exploits available. This affects development teams and poses immediate risk of supply chain compromise, credential theft, and unauthorized system access.
Disable Zed extension installer functionality via configuration policy; restrict outbound network access to extension repositories; implement application whitelisting to prevent unsigned code execution; monitor developer workstations for suspicious tar/gzip extraction activities; consider network segmentation to isolate development environments; require code review of all extensions before installation via offline processes.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
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
Zed code editor versions prior to 0.224.4 contain a path traversal vulnerability in ZIP extraction that fails to sanitiz
Arbitrary code execution in the Zed code editor affects all versions prior to 0.218.2-pre, where Model Context Protocol
Arbitrary code execution in the Zed code editor (all versions prior to 0.218.2-pre) lets a project's .zed/settings.json
Zed code editor versions before 0.225.9 fail to properly validate symbolic links in Agent file tools, allowing attackers
Zed Editor versions prior to 0.219.4 fail to display tool invocation parameters during permission prompts or after execu
A directory traversal vulnerability with remote code execution in Prim'X Zed!. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this
Remote code execution in Zed code editor versions prior to 0.227.1 occurs when a user opens a folder containing a malici
Arbitrary code execution in the Zed code editor (versions prior to 0.229.0) is possible by abusing its terminal tool per
Command injection in Zed code editor versions prior to 0.229.0 allows bypass of the terminal tool's permission allowlist
Remote command execution in Zed code editor versions prior to 0.227.1 occurs when opening SSH or WSL remote terminals be
By default, .ZED containers produced by PRIMX ZED!. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.5), this vulnerability is remotely explo
We are tasked to synthesize data from multiple intelligence sources about CVE-2026-44462 into a comprehensive JSON analy
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