CVE-2026-24846

malcontent's archive extraction could write outside extraction directory

MEDIUM
5
CVSS Score
Published: January 29, 2026 at 09:12 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 10:23 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsMalcontentMalcontent

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Severity
MEDIUM5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

malcontent discovers supply-chain compromises through. context, differential analysis, and YARA. Starting in version 1.8.0 and prior to version 1.20.3, malcontent could be made to create symlinks outside the intended extraction directory when scanning a specially crafted tar or deb archive. The `handleSymlink` function received arguments in the wrong order, causing the symlink target to be used as the symlink location. Additionally, symlink targets were not validated to ensure they resolved within the extraction directory. Version 1.20.3 introduces fixes that swap handleSymlink arguments, validate symlink location, and validate symlink targets that resolve within an extraction directory.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

1.8.0 ≤ v < 1.20.3
v < 1.20.3
Affected range stops below 1.20.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
REQUIRED
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-22CWE-683

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