CVE-2026-22870 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-409 (Improper Handling of Highly Compressed Data) affecting DataDog's GuardDog CLI tool versions prior to 2.7.1. GuardDog is used to identify malicious Python packages from PyPI by extracting and analyzing package contents, including ZIP-based formats like wheels and eggs. The vulnerability stems from the safe_extract() function's failure to validate the size of decompressed files when extracting ZIP archives. An attacker can craft a malicious package containing a zip bomb—a highly compressed archive that expands to consume gigabytes of disk space from a few megabytes of compressed data. When GuardDog extracts such a package, it can cause denial of service by exhausting disk space and potentially impacting system stability or availability. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates the attack can be performed remotely (AV:N), with low complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction required (UI:P), and results in high impact on availability (VA:H). No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (January 13, 2026). The vulnerability was reserved on January 12, 2026, and promptly published the next day. The issue is resolved in GuardDog version 2.7.1, which includes validation to prevent excessive decompressed file sizes during extraction. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for organizations that automate security scanning of Python packages using GuardDog, as it can be triggered by malicious packages uploaded to PyPI or internal repositories. Attackers could leverage this to disrupt CI/CD pipelines or security workflows by causing resource exhaustion.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2026-22870 is denial of service through resource exhaustion on systems running vulnerable versions of GuardDog. This can disrupt automated security scanning processes, delay software delivery pipelines, and potentially cause broader operational impacts if critical infrastructure depends on these tools. Organizations heavily reliant on Python development and DevOps automation are at higher risk, as GuardDog is used to vet PyPI packages for malicious content. The vulnerability could be exploited by attackers uploading malicious packages to public or private repositories, triggering the zip bomb extraction during routine scans. This may lead to degraded system performance, increased operational costs due to recovery efforts, and potential downtime. While confidentiality and integrity impacts are not directly indicated, availability degradation can indirectly affect business continuity and security posture. European sectors with strong software development ecosystems, including finance, technology, and manufacturing, may face operational risks if unpatched. Additionally, organizations with compliance requirements for secure software supply chains must address this vulnerability to maintain regulatory adherence.

To mitigate CVE-2026-22870, European organizations should immediately upgrade GuardDog to version 2.7.1 or later, which includes the fix for safe_extract() to validate decompressed file sizes. Beyond patching, organizations should implement resource usage monitoring and limits on disk space and memory consumption during package extraction processes to detect and prevent zip bomb attacks. Integrating sandboxing or containerization for package analysis can isolate potential impacts. Additionally, validating package sources and employing reputation-based filtering for PyPI packages can reduce exposure to malicious inputs. Security teams should audit existing CI/CD pipelines and automated scanning tools to ensure they do not use vulnerable GuardDog versions. Logging and alerting on abnormal extraction behavior or resource spikes can provide early warning of exploitation attempts. Finally, educating developers and security analysts about the risks of zip bombs and secure package handling practices will strengthen overall resilience.