CVE-2026-42497: bingos archive::tar Link Following

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-42497 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Link Following vulnerability in bingos archive::tar. EPSS estimates a 0.47% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 39.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 26-05-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 28-05-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

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.

• CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
• CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical ResourceThe product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.