Hardlink Path Traversal in node-tar <7.5.7
CVE-2026-24842 Published on January 28, 2026
node-tar Vulnerable to Arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite via Hardlink Path Traversal
node-tar,a Tar for Node.js, contains a vulnerability in versions prior to 7.5.7 where the security check for hardlink entries uses different path resolution semantics than the actual hardlink creation logic. This mismatch allows an attacker to craft a malicious TAR archive that bypasses path traversal protections and creates hardlinks to arbitrary files outside the extraction directory. Version 7.5.7 contains a fix for the issue.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-24842 is exploitable with network access, requires user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. Public availability of a proof of concept (POC) exploit exists for CVE-2026-24842. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have a high impact on confidentiality, with no impact on integrity, and no impact on availability.
Weakness Types
What is a Directory traversal Vulnerability?
The software uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the software does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
CVE-2026-24842 has been classified to as a Directory traversal vulnerability or weakness.
What is an insecure temporary file Vulnerability?
The software 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.
CVE-2026-24842 has been classified to as an insecure temporary file vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-24842
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Affected Versions
isaacs node-tar:- Version < 7.5.7 is affected.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.