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extract-zip EUVDEUVD-2026-39812

| CVE-2026-56876 HIGH
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-06-26 cisa-cg GHSA-jmr9-qjv8-65gv
8.6
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: cisa-cg
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Craft zip with traversal symlink entry
  2. Delivery
    Deliver archive to extraction endpoint
  3. Exploit
    extract-zip writes symlink unvalidated
  4. Execution
    App follows link outside root
  5. Impact
    Read or overwrite arbitrary files

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

Exploitation requires that the target application use extract-zip to unpack an attacker-supplied zip archive containing a symbolic-link entry with a relative traversal target (the description explicitly names a symlink path like '../../../../etc/passwd'); no authentication or special privileges are needed (PR:N), but passive interaction is required (UI:P) in that a victim system must actually ingest and extract the malicious archive. Whether the outcome is arbitrary read, arbitrary write, or both is limited by how the consuming application subsequently uses the extracted files (reading from versus writing through the symlink). Limiting factors: the bug is not triggered by merely receiving the archive - extraction must occur, the host filesystem must honor symlinks (Unix-like systems; behavior differs on platforms/configs that ignore or block symlink creation), and the process must have permissions to the targeted out-of-tree paths.

Impact

The provided CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N) indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity flaw requiring no privileges but passive operator interaction (the victim application must process the malicious archive), with high confidentiality and integrity impact and no availability impact - consistent with the 8.6 score. No EPSS score was supplied and the CVE is not in CISA KEV, so there is no signal of active exploitation; this is high-severity-by-impact rather than a confirmed in-the-wild threat. The UI:P requirement is the main mitigating factor: exploitation depends on a target ingesting an attacker-supplied zip, which is common in upload/import/CI pipelines but not automatic. No SSVC data was provided; given a popular library and a well-understood, easily weaponizable bug class, automatability of exploit development is plausible even though no public PoC is confirmed here.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a zip archive containing a symlink entry whose target is a relative traversal path (e.g. '../../../../etc/passwd' or a path into the application's config/credential directory) and delivers it to a service that uses extract-zip to unpack uploads. When the application extracts the archive and later reads from or writes through the planted symlink, the attacker reads sensitive files outside the extraction directory or overwrites files such as configuration or startup scripts. No public exploit code is confirmed, but the low attack complexity and well-known technique make a working exploit straightforward to develop.

Monitor Track and reassess. Why: Vendor states no customer action required.
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv3 – Jun 26, 2026

Arbitrary file read/write in the Node.js extract-zip library (max-mapper/extract-zip) arises because symlink entries inside zip archives are extracted without validating their targets. An attacker who supplies a crafted archive containing a symlink with a traversal target such as '../../../../etc/passwd' can cause files to be placed or resolved outside the intended extraction directory, leading to disclosure or modification of sensitive files depending on how the host application uses the extracted output. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis and the issue is not listed in CISA KEV, though the CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.6 reflects high confidentiality and integrity impact.

Earlier versions of this analysis (2)
v2 Jun 26, 2026 - 18:30 cvss changed CVSS 8.6

Arbitrary file read and write in the extract-zip Node.js library (by max-mapper) allows attackers to escape the intended extraction directory by embedding symlinks with relative path targets (e.g. '../../../../etc/passwd') inside a malicious zip archive, which extract-zip writes without validating where the link points. Any application that unpacks attacker-supplied archives with this library is exposed; depending on usage, this enables reading sensitive files or overwriting files outside the target folder, potentially leading to code execution. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.6 (High).

v1 Jun 26, 2026 - 17:50 CVSS 8.1

Arbitrary file read/write in the extract-zip Node.js library (max-mapper/extract-zip, all versions per the CPE) arises because the library extracts symbolic links from zip archives without validating their targets. A crafted archive containing a symlink such as '../../../../etc/passwd' is written to disk as-is, so any subsequent read or write through that link escapes the intended extraction directory. CVSS 3.1 rates it 8.1 (High) with confirmed high confidentiality and integrity impact; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and it is not on CISA KEV.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patched version was identified in the available data, so an exact fixed release cannot be cited; consult the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-x7jf-2287-qcpf (https://github.com/ziad626/extract-zip-security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-x7jf-2287-qcpf) and the CISA CSAF advisory (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-177-01.json) for an upgrade target and apply it once published. As compensating controls, avoid extracting untrusted archives with extract-zip on trusted hosts; if extraction is required, run it in a sandbox or container with no access to sensitive paths under a non-privileged user (trade-off: added orchestration complexity), and post-process by rejecting or stripping symlink entries and canonicalizing every resolved path to verify it stays within the extraction root before any read/write (trade-off: legitimate archives that rely on symlinks will break). Where feasible, switch to an extraction routine that refuses symlink entries entirely or validates targets, and disable following symlinks on the extraction directory at the filesystem level.

Affected VersionsENISA

extract-zip 0 <*

Affected Packages

npm extract-zip no fix

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.

Technical ContextAI · show details

extract-zip is a widely used Node.js/npm package that wraps yauzl to unpack zip archives to disk. The root cause is CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory / path traversal), specifically the symlink-handling variant: a zip entry can carry a symbolic link whose target is an attacker-controlled relative path. Because extract-zip writes the symlink to disk without canonicalizing and confirming the resolved target stays within the extraction root, subsequent file operations that follow the symlink escape the intended directory. The affected component per CPE is cpe:2.3:a:max-mapper:extract-zip:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* across all reported versions. Whether the impact is read, write, or both depends on whether the consuming application reads from or writes through the extracted symlink path.

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Severity by source

Vendor (cisa-cg) PRIMARY 8.6 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Remote attacker-supplied archive (AV:N) needs no privileges (PR:N) but requires the app to extract it (UI:R); arbitrary read and write give C:H/I:H, no availability impact, scope unchanged.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 8.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Red Hat 8.1 HIGH

Primary rating from Vendor (cisa-cg).

CVSS VectorVendor: cisa-cg

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Passive
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
None
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
Analysis Updated
Jun 26, 2026 - 18:30 vuln.today
v3 - CVSS changed
Analysis Updated
Jun 26, 2026 - 18:30 vuln.today
v2 - CVSS changed
CVSS changed
Jun 26, 2026 - 18:22 NVD
8.1 (HIGH) 8.6 (HIGH)

DescriptionCVE.org

extract-zip does not validate symlink targets when extracting zip archives. When processing a malicious zip file containing a symlink with a relative path like '../../../../etc/passwd', extract-zip will extract the symlink without validation, allowing it to point outside the extraction directory. Depending on how extract-zip is used, an attacker could read or write to arbitrary files.

Blast Radius

ecosystem impact
† from your stack dependencies † transitive graph · vuln.today resolves 4-path depth
  • 27,938 npm packages depend on extract-zip (1,823 direct, 26,192 indirect)

Ecosystem-wide dependent count for version 2.0.1.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity vulnerability in the widely-used Node.js extract-zip library (CVE-2026-56876, CVSS 8.6) enables attackers to read and write arbitrary files on affected servers through maliciously crafted zip archives containing symlink traversal payloads. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the issue is not listed in CISA's Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. However, organizations running applications that extract user-supplied or untrusted zip archives face immediate risk of data theft and system compromise, with no vendor-released patch currently available.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Deploy these interim mitigations immediately: (1) Symlink validation-detect and reject all symlink entries before extraction; (2) Filesystem hardening-apply restrictive permissions (0700) on extraction directories, use read-only mounts where feasible; (3) Process sandboxing-run extraction in isolated containers or with seccomp/AppArmor confinement; (4) Detection and monitoring-implement file integrity monitoring on sensitive paths, centralize extraction failure logs with alerting; (5) Access controls-restrict zip upload and extraction operations to authenticated users only; (6) Business continuity assessment-audit operational necessity of zip extraction; disable if non-critical to operations.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 76% exploitable
Prevalence
High
extract-zip is a heavily downloaded, widely used Node.js npm dependency
Threat Intel
1
1 sources
Data Quality
8 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment GHSA Vendor CIRCL 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 No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
Vendor states no customer action required
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

43
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +43
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
openSUSE Tumbleweed Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Not-Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 Not-Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Not-Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Not-Affected

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