CVE-2026-42497

Archive::Tar versions before 3.08 for Perl extract hardlinks to attacker controlled paths outside the extraction directory

HIGH
7.5
CVSS Score
Published: May 26, 2026 at 12:17 AM UTC
Updated: July 24, 2026 at 11:23 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsArchive::tarArchive::Tar

Using Archive::Tar by BINGOS?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Archive::Tar - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.5%
SSVC
No known exploit

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.

Affected

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

v < 3.08
Affected range stops below 3.08, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitAutomatablePartial impact

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

CVSS

7.5HIGHCISA-ADP
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-59CWE-732

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card