How severe is CVE-2026-42497?

CVE-2026-42497 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2026-42497 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-42497?

CVE-2026-42497 affects Archive. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-42497?

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-2026-42497 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-42497 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31777.

When was CVE-2026-42497 published?

CVE-2026-42497 was published on 2026-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2026-42497

CVE-2026-42497 is a high-severity vulnerability in Archive with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. 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: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-31777
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Archive
Published: 2026-05-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract hardlinks to attacker controlled paths outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to link() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments, creating a hardlink that shares the victim file's inode. A subsequent write through the extracted name modifies the victim file, and the post-extraction chmod, chown, and utime block in _extract_file() (guarded only against symlinks via -l) applies the tar header's mode, owner, and timestamps to the shared inode during extraction alone.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42497?: Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract hardlinks to attacker controlled paths outside the extraction directory. _make_special_file() passes the tar header's linkname to link() without validating it against absolute paths or .. segments, creating a hardlink that shares the victim file's inode. A subsequent write through the extracted name modifies the victim file, and the post-extraction chmod, chown, and utime block in _extract_file() (guarded only against symlinks via -l) applies the tar header's mode, owner, and timestamps to the shared inode during extraction alone.
How severe is CVE-2026-42497?: CVE-2026-42497 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2026-42497 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42497?: CVE-2026-42497 affects Archive. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42497?: 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-2026-42497 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-42497 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-31777.
When was CVE-2026-42497 published?: CVE-2026-42497 was published on 2026-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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