CVE-2026-22871 GuardDog Path Traversal Vulnerability Leads to Arbitrary File Overwrite and RCE
Attackers can exploit path traversal in GuardDog to overwrite arbitrary files and execute remote code via malicious PyPI packages.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-22871?
CVE-2026-22871 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in DataDog guarddog, published on 13 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
GuardDog is a CLI tool to identify malicious PyPI packages. Prior to 2.7.1, there is a path traversal vulnerability exists in GuardDog's safe_extract() function that allows malicious PyPI packages to write arbitrary files outside the intended extraction directory, leading to Arbitrary File Overwrite and Remote Code Execution on systems running GuardDog. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.7.1.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-22871?
3 open source packages ship an affected version, including guarddog. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
guarddog PyPI | All versions | 2.7.1 |
guarddog PyPI | All versions | 2.7.1 |
guarddog PyPI | All versions | 2.7.1 |
Products include Datadoghq Guarddog.
How do I fix CVE-2026-22871?
Upgrade guarddog to 2.7.1 or later.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-22871 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-22871 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in DataDog guarddog
Sources
Also known as GHSA-xg9w-vg3g-6m68, PYSEC-2026-1430.