CVE-2026-26157 is a vulnerability discovered in BusyBox, specifically within its archive extraction utilities used by Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. The root cause is incomplete path sanitization during archive extraction, which allows an attacker to craft malicious archive files containing paths that traverse outside the intended extraction directory (e.g., via directory traversal sequences like '../'). When such an archive is extracted under specific conditions, files outside the target directory can be overwritten. This arbitrary file overwrite can be leveraged to modify sensitive system files, potentially leading to privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges and user interaction to extract the malicious archive, making remote exploitation less straightforward. The CVSS 3.1 score is 7.0 (high), reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but with attack vector local and requiring user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk to systems still running RHEL 6, which is used in some legacy environments. The flaw highlights the importance of proper path sanitization in archive utilities to prevent directory traversal and unauthorized file modification.

For European organizations, especially those running legacy Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 systems, this vulnerability presents a significant risk. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary file overwrite, compromising system integrity and potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user extracting the archive. This could result in system compromise, data breaches, or disruption of critical services. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on RHEL 6 for legacy applications may face operational risks and compliance issues if exploited. The requirement for local access and user interaction somewhat limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, particularly in environments with multiple users or where untrusted archives might be processed. The high confidentiality and availability impact could lead to data loss or system downtime, affecting business continuity and trust.

1. Apply official patches from Red Hat as soon as they become available to address the path sanitization flaw in BusyBox's archive extraction utilities. 2. Until patches are applied, restrict the extraction of archives to trusted sources only and avoid extracting archives from unverified or external origins. 3. Implement strict user permissions and limit local user privileges to reduce the risk of exploitation. 4. Employ file integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized changes to critical system files promptly. 5. Educate users about the risks of extracting untrusted archives and enforce policies to prevent execution of potentially malicious files. 6. Consider upgrading from RHEL 6 to a more recent, supported version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to benefit from improved security features and ongoing support. 7. Use containerization or sandboxing techniques when handling archive extraction to isolate potential malicious activity.