Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
AC:H reflects the required preexisting symlink prerequisite beyond attacker control; all other metrics align with the provided vector.
Primary rating from Vendor (redhat).
CVSS VectorVendor: redhat
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
A flaw was found in GNU tar. When extracting an archive with the --one-top-level option, hardlink targets are not confined to the designated top-level directory and may resolve relative to the extraction working directory. A crafted archive can create hardlinks that escape the intended boundary and, when combined with a preexisting symbolic link under the working directory, may allow writing outside that boundary during a single extraction.
AnalysisAI
GNU tar's --one-top-level extraction mode fails to confine hardlink targets to the designated top-level directory, allowing a crafted archive to plant hardlinks that escape the intended extraction boundary. When combined with a preexisting symbolic link already present under the working directory, an attacker who can induce a victim to extract a malicious archive may read or write files outside the intended extraction scope on systems running affected RHEL versions (6 through 10) and Red Hat Hardened Images. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires both user interaction and a specific environmental pre-condition, keeping real-world risk moderate despite GNU tar's ubiquitous deployment.
Technical ContextAI
CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access, 'Link Following') describes the root cause: GNU tar's implementation of --one-top-level enforces boundary checks for regular files but fails to apply equivalent confinement logic to hardlink targets. Hardlinks in a tar archive reference inode paths that, when resolved, are computed relative to the current working directory rather than the designated top-level extraction directory. This means an attacker-controlled archive can embed hardlink entries whose targets traverse upward or sideways from the extraction root. The secondary condition - a preexisting symbolic link under the working directory - allows the hardlink traversal to chain through that symlink, reaching filesystem locations entirely outside the extraction scope in a single extraction pass. The affected CPE strings cover Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 through 10 (cpe:2.3:a:red_hat:red_hat_enterprise_linux_{6-10}) and Red Hat Hardened Images, confirming the vulnerability is present in GNU tar as shipped in the RHEL ecosystem.
RemediationAI
Monitor the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-18508 and apply the GNU tar package update for the relevant RHEL version (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or Hardened Images) as soon as it is released - exact patched package versions are not yet confirmed in the available intelligence. As a compensating control prior to patching, avoid using the --one-top-level flag when extracting archives from untrusted sources; extracting into an isolated, empty directory (with no symlinks) under a dedicated unprivileged account limits the blast radius. If automated pipelines extract archives with --one-top-level, audit the working directory for preexisting symbolic links and remove or restrict them, noting that this may affect legitimate workflows relying on those symlinks.
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View allSame technique Information Disclosure
View allVendor StatusVendor
SUSE
Severity: Moderate| Product | Status |
|---|---|
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-GDC | Affected |
| SLES15-SP6-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-GDC | Affected |
| SLES15-SP7-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP applications 16.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Micro 6.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Micro 6.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Micro 6.2 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP3-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES15-SP3-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES15-SP3-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP3-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES15-SP3-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES15-SP4-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES15-SP5-CHOST-BYOS-GDC | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP6 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5-LTSS Extended Security | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server LTSS Extended Security 12 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy LTS 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server LTS 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server LTS 4.3 | Affected |
| SUSE CaaS Platform 3.0 | Affected |
| SUSE CaaS Platform 4.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP6 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Micro 5.2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 12 SP2-CLIENT | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-BCL | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-BCL | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP3-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-ESPOS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP4-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-BCL | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-BCL | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15-LTSS | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for Raspberry Pi 12 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP1 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.2 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.2 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.0 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.1 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.2 | Affected |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 7 | Affected |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 8 | Affected |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9 | Affected |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 8 | Affected |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.5 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap Micro 5.2 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap Micro 5.3 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap Micro 5.4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-Aliyun | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-Azure | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-EC2 | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-GCE | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-GDC | Affected |
| SLES-CHOST-BYOS-SAP-CCloud | Affected |
| bci/bci-sle15-kernel-module-devel bci/bci-sle15-kernel-module-devel:15.5 bci/bci-sle15-kernel-module-devel:15.6 bci/kiwi bci/node:16 bci/spack bci/spack:0.23 kiwi-templates-Minimal kiwi-templates-Minimal-Cloud-sap kiwi-templates-Minimal-MS-HyperV-sap kiwi-templates-Minimal-VMware-sap kiwi-templates-Minimal-kvm-and-xen-sap rancher/elemental-teal-iso/5.4 rancher/elemental-teal-rt/5.3 rancher/elemental-teal-rt/5.4 rancher/elemental-teal/5.3 rancher/elemental-teal/5.4 suse/hpc/warewulf4-x86_64/sle-hpc-node suse/ltss/sle15.3/sle15 suse/ltss/sle15.4/sle15 suse/ltss/sle15.5/sle15 suse/ltss/sle15.6/sle15 suse/manager/5.0/x86_64/server suse/multi-linux-manager/5.1/x86_64/server suse/multi-linux-manager/5.2/x86_64/server suse/postgres suse/postgres:14 suse/postgres:16 suse/postgres:16.14 suse/postgres:17 suse/postgres:17.10 suse/sle-micro-rancher/5.2 suse/sle-micro-rancher/5.3 suse/sle-micro-rancher/5.4 suse/sle-micro/5.0/toolbox suse/sle-micro/5.1/toolbox suse/sle-micro/5.2/toolbox suse/sle-micro/5.3/toolbox suse/sle-micro/5.4/toolbox suse/sle-micro/5.5 suse/sle-micro/5.5/toolbox suse/sle-micro/base-5.5 suse/sle15 suse/sle15:15.5 suse/sle15:15.6 suse/sles-16.1-kubevirt-minimal suse/sles/15.3/cdi-importer:1.37.1 suse/sles/15.3/cdi-uploadserver:1.37.1 suse/sles/15.3/libguestfs-tools:0.45.0 suse/sles/15.4/cdi-importer:1.43.0 suse/sles/15.4/cdi-uploadserver:1.43.0 suse/sles/15.4/libguestfs-tools:0.49.0 suse/sles/15.4/virt-launcher:0.49.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-apiserver:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-cloner:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-controller:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-importer:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-operator:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-uploadproxy:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/cdi-uploadserver:1.55.0 suse/sles/15.5/libguestfs-tools:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-api:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-controller:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-exportproxy:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-exportserver:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-handler:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-launcher:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.5/virt-operator:0.58.0 suse/sles/15.6/cdi-cloner:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.6/cdi-importer:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.6/cdi-uploadserver:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.6/libguestfs-tools:1.1.1 suse/sles/15.6/virt-exportserver:1.1.1 suse/sles/15.6/virt-handler:1.1.1 suse/sles/15.6/virt-launcher:1.1.1 suse/sles/15.7/cdi-cloner:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.7/cdi-importer:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.7/cdi-uploadserver:1.58.0 suse/sles/15.7/libguestfs-tools:1.5.0 suse/sles/15.7/virt-exportserver:1.5.0 suse/sles/15.7/virt-handler:1.5.0 suse/sles/15.7/virt-launcher:1.5.0 suse/sles/16.0/toolbox trento/trento-runner | Affected |
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-52327
GHSA-4f5j-wqjr-hx49