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

Status: published. Published: 2026-10-09. Updated: 2026-11-05.

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.

## Remediation

- workaround: Avoid extracting tar archives from untrusted sources using busybox, especially with elevated privileges or into a directory that will be reused for a subsequent extraction. If untrusted archives must be processed, extract into a freshly created, isolated directory with minimal privileges on a single filesystem boundary and discard it (including any links left on disk) after each extraction. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Hardened Images (busybox-main): ≥ 1.37.0-9.4.hum1; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 (busybox): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.3 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CVSS 3.1: 6.3 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H; source: NVD: secalert@redhat.com

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.13% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 2.93%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-59

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:81391 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-108119 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2548611 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:81391 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-108119 (secalert@redhat.com)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2548611 (secalert@redhat.com)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-108119; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-108119; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated 2026-11-05

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-108119; retrieved 2026-11-05; source updated Not reported

Revision: 0bf355dc6b5460d64a0eb10d75e88430da93a303bd0b15a333caed127ee6e0b8

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-108119

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