# CVE-2026-44517: Buildah: Build breakout using malicious Containerfile and Git Smart HTTP server or GitHub release tar archive

> Attackers can use malicious Containerfiles or archives to escape build context directories, potentially executing code or reading sensitive files.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **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:** 21 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 25 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-97652, BELL-CVE-2026-44517, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-44517, GHSA-49p4-px3h-rq49, GO-2026-5116, MINI-rfjf-99g2-mrpc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-44517

## What is CVE-2026-44517?

CVE-2026-44517 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in containers buildah, published on 21 Aug 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

Buildah is a tool that facilitates building OCI images. From 1.38.1 until 1.43.2 and 1.44.0, TempDirForURL in define/types.go does not securely confine Git repository subdirectories to the downloaded build context, and downloadToDirectory and stdinToDirectory can follow a Dockerfile symlink left by a partially extracted tar archive. A malicious server supplying a Git repository or tar archive can cause files outside the build context directory to be included in the context or copied into the build. This issue is fixed in versions 1.43.2 and 1.44.0.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44517?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/containers/buildah.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/containers/buildah` | Go | From 1.38.1 | None |
| `github.com/containers/buildah` | Go | From 1.38.1 | 1.43.2 |
| `github.com/containers/buildah` | Go | From 1.38.1 | 1.43.2 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-44517?

Upgrade github.com/containers/buildah to 1.43.2 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-44517 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44517 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-44517 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-44517 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in containers buildah, published on 21 Aug 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-2026-44517 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/containers/buildah (Go): affected from 1.38.1; no fix listed
- github.com/containers/buildah (Go): affected from 1.38.1; fixed in 1.43.2
- github.com/containers/buildah (Go): affected from 1.38.1; fixed in 1.43.2

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-2026-44517/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44517/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44517
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44517
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44517

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44517/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.