CVE-2026-43616 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-23) in the horsicq DIE-engine component of Detect-It-Easy prior to version 3.21. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of archive entries containing relative traversal sequences or absolute paths during extraction. This allows an attacker to write files to arbitrary locations on the filesystem outside the intended extraction directory. Successful exploitation can overwrite user startup scripts, potentially enabling persistent code execution. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack vector with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is needed. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity with high impact, but no availability impact.

An attacker with local access and the ability to supply crafted archives can write arbitrary files outside the extraction directory. This can lead to persistent code execution by overwriting user startup scripts, compromising system integrity and potentially user confidentiality. The vulnerability does not impact availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is released, users should avoid extracting untrusted archives with vulnerable versions of DIE-engine. Monitor vendor channels for updates and apply patches promptly once available.