CVE-2026-26960: isaacs node-tar · Path Traversal
Affects isaacs node-tarSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High : upgrade to 7.5.8 soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:29 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 25% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 7.5.8
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade isaacs node-tar to 7.5.8.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| isaacsnode-tar | Affected
| Fixed in
|
AI-suggested
The primary mitigation is to upgrade all instances of node-tar to version 7.5.8 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Organizations should audit their codebases and dependencies to identify and update vulnerable versions. Additionally, implement strict validation and sanitization of archive contents before extraction, especially when archives originate from untrusted sources. Employ the principle of least privilege by running extraction processes with minimal permissions to limit potential damage. Use containerization or sandboxing to isolate extraction environments. Monitor logs and file system changes for suspicious activity related to archive extraction. Incorporate security scanning tools that detect vulnerable dependencies and enforce automated patching in CI/CD pipelines to prevent future exposure.
Description
node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. When using default options in versions 7.5.7 and below, an attacker-controlled archive can create a hardlink inside the extraction directory that points to a file outside the extraction root, enabling arbitrary file read and write as the extracting user. Severity is high because the primitive bypasses path protections and turns archive extraction into a direct filesystem access primitive. This issue has been fixed in version 7.5.8.