How severe is CVE-2026-39973?

CVE-2026-39973 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2026-39973 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (8th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-39973?

CVE-2026-39973 affects Apktool. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-39973?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2026-39973 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-39973 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-24043.

When was CVE-2026-39973 published?

CVE-2026-39973 was published on 2026-04-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2026-39973

CVE-2026-39973 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apktool with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-22.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (8th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-24043
Weakness: CWE-22
Affected product: Apktool
Published: 2026-04-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (`apktool d`). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed `../` sequences in the `resources.arsc` Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including `~/.ssh/config`, `~/.bashrc`, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` in `ResFileDecoder.java` before file write operations.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-39973?: Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (`apktool d`). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed `../` sequences in the `resources.arsc` Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including `~/.ssh/config`, `~/.bashrc`, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` in `ResFileDecoder.java` before file write operations.
How severe is CVE-2026-39973?: CVE-2026-39973 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-39973 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (8th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-39973?: CVE-2026-39973 affects Apktool. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-39973?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-39973 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-39973 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-24043.
When was CVE-2026-39973 published?: CVE-2026-39973 was published on 2026-04-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apktool:apktool:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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