# CVE-2026-5704: Tar: tar: hidden file injection via crafted archives

> Attackers can inject hidden files with controlled content via crafted archives, bypassing inspection mechanisms in tar.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 22 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-98237, CLSA-2026-1791450288, CLSA-2026-1791452899, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-5704, ECHO-6544-7e09-569c, GHSA-jqqw-37x4-9rwj, MGASA-2026-0168, MINI-5xfc-qf8m-mg3g, OESA-2026-3223, RHSA-2026:66514, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-5704, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-5704, SUSE-SU-2026:2714-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-5704, USN-8477-1, USN-8477-2, USN-8477-3, openSUSE-SU-2026:11125-1

## What is CVE-2026-5704?

CVE-2026-5704 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 6 Apr 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 tar. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious archive, leading to hidden file injection with fully attacker-controlled content. This bypasses pre-extraction inspection mechanisms, potentially allowing an attacker to introduce malicious files onto a system without detection.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5704?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `tar` | Red Hat:hummingbird:1 | All versions | 0:1.35-10.hum1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.3 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.4 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Micro 5.5 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP7 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 | All versions | 1.34-150000.3.42.1 |
| `tar` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 1.35-8.1 |

Products: Gnu Tar, Redhat Enterprise Linux, Redhat Hardened Images.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-5704?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-5704 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5704 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2005-2541](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2541/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-9923](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9923/): Null dereference in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2016-6321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6321/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2007-4131](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-4131/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2023-39804](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39804/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 6.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-5704 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-5704 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 6 Apr 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-2026-5704 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux. 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-2026-5704/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5704/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5704
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5704
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-5704

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5704/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.