# CVE-2026-108119: Busybox: busybox: tar extraction-root escape via deferred symlink/hardlink creation bypasses cve-2026-26158 fix

> Attackers can escape extraction directories via crafted tar archives, leading to privilege escalation or code execution when extracted with elevated privileges.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-107963, BELL-CVE-2026-108119, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-108119, GHSA-v87q-pcjw-34hc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-108119

## What is CVE-2026-108119?

CVE-2026-108119 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, published on 9 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A flaw was found in busybox. The tar applet's deferred link-creation handling for symlink and hardlink entries with unsafe-looking targets does not validate that the resolved destination remains inside the extraction directory once the deferred link is created. An attacker can craft a tar archive using a symlink target of exactly '..' combined with a deferred hardlink to create a new file outside the extraction directory, or reuse an extraction directory across two archives to replace an existing file outside it. If the archive is extracted with elevated privileges, this flaw can lead to privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-108119?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-108119?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-108119 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-108119 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-108119 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-108119 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, published on 9 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-108119 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-108119/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-108119/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-108119
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-108119
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-108119

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-108119/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.