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High, CVSS 8.2amended

node-tar Symlink Path Traversal via Drive-Relative Linkpath

CVE-2026-31802GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256

What to do

Vendor fix available. Upgrade each affected package to the fixed version on its release line (tar 7.5.11), redeploy, then verify what is actually installed.

This page has no inventory attached, so it cannot say whether you are affected. A vendor fix is not proof that your deployment is fixed.

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Affected packages

  • npm tar

    Affected
    <= 7.5.10
    Fixed in
    7.5.11

Sources

Severity and exploitation
Exploitation
No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.
CVSS 4.0
8.2 · CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:H/SA:N · score source
EPSS
  • CVE-2026-31802: 0.27% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 19.08 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.
Source description

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary tar (npm) can be tricked into creating a symlink that points outside the extraction directory by using a drive-relative symlink target such as C:../../../target.txt, which enables file overwrite outside cwd during normal tar.x() extraction. Details The extraction logic in Unpack[STRIPABSOLUTEPATH] validates .. segments against a resolved path that still uses the original drive-relative value, and only afterwards rewrites the stored linkpath to the stripped value. What happens with linkpath: "C:../../../target.txt": 1. stripAbsolutePath() removes C: and rewrites the value to ../../../target.txt. 2. The escape check resolves using the original pre-stripped value, so it is treated as in-bounds and accepted. 3. Symlink creation uses the rewritten value (../../../target.txt) from nested path a/b/l. 4. Writing through the extracted symlink overwrites the outside file (../target.txt). This is reachable in standard usage (tar.x({ cwd, file })) when extracting attacker-controlled tar…

Dates and revisions
Published by the source
Last modified by the source
Source last checked
  1. Revision 3 · amended ·

    Amended from ghsa record GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256

  2. Revision 2 · amended ·

    Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

  3. Revision 1 · created ·

    Published from osv record GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256

Agent brief

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-31802

Advisory: node-tar Symlink Path Traversal via Drive-Relative Linkpath
IDs: CVE-2026-31802, GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-31802 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:43 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 8.2)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: tar 7.5.11. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm tar: affected <= 7.5.10; fixed in 7.5.11

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls tar --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on tar.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256 (OSV record GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256 lists affected ranges: npm tar >=0 <7.5.11 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256 lists affected ranges: npm tar >=0 <=7.5.10)

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