CVE-2026-24846 malcontent's archive extraction could write outside extraction directory
Attackers can write files outside the extraction directory via crafted archives, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-24846?
CVE-2026-24846 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in chainguard-dev malcontent, published on 29 Jan 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
malcontent discovers supply-chain compromises through. context, differential analysis, and YARA. Starting in version 1.8.0 and prior to version 1.20.3, malcontent could be made to create symlinks outside the intended extraction directory when scanning a specially crafted tar or deb archive. The `handleSymlink` function received arguments in the wrong order, causing the symlink target to be used as the symlink location. Additionally, symlink targets were not validated to ensure they resolved within the extraction directory. Version 1.20.3 introduces fixes that swap handleSymlink arguments, validate symlink location, and validate symlink targets that resolve within an extraction directory.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-24846?
3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent Go | From 1.8.0 | 1.20.3 |
github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent Go | From 1.8.0 | 1.20.3 |
github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent Go | From 1.8.0 | 1.20.3 |
Products include Chainguard Malcontent.
How do I fix CVE-2026-24846?
Upgrade github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent to 1.20.3 or later.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-24846 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-24846 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in chainguard-dev malcontent
Sources
Also known as GHSA-923j-vrcg-hxwh, GO-2026-4391.