How severe is CVE-2026-42496?

CVE-2026-42496 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2026-42496 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-42496?

CVE-2026-42496 affects Archive. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-42496?

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

Does CVE-2026-42496 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-42496 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31774.

When was CVE-2026-42496 published?

CVE-2026-42496 was published on 2026-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

CVE-2026-42496

CVE-2026-42496 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Archive with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. 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-59.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-31774
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Archive
Published: 2026-05-26
Last modified: 2026-06-30

Description

Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract symlinks with attacker controlled targets outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to symlink() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments. The secure-extract mode check that guards regular file extraction does not cover the symlink target. A subsequent open through the extracted name reads or writes the attacker chosen path.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42496?: Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract symlinks with attacker controlled targets outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to symlink() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments. The secure-extract mode check that guards regular file extraction does not cover the symlink target. A subsequent open through the extracted name reads or writes the attacker chosen path.
How severe is CVE-2026-42496?: CVE-2026-42496 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-42496 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42496?: CVE-2026-42496 affects Archive. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42496?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2026-42496 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-42496 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31774.
When was CVE-2026-42496 published?: CVE-2026-42496 was published on 2026-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-30.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:archive\:\:tar_project:archive\:\:tar:*:*:*:*:*:perl:*:*

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