# CVE-2026-96279: Flatpak: flatpak: path traversal issue in oci archive extraction via hardlinks

Status: published. Published: 2026-09-27. Updated: 2026-11-06.

A malicious OCI registry can hardlink arbitrary host files into the extraction directory when a user installs or updates a Flatpak application from an OCI remote, allowing disclosure of arbitrary host file contents. For system-wide installs running as root, this includes sensitive files such as /etc/shadow.

## Remediation

- workaround: Only install applications from trusted OCI registries. Flatpak remotes using the default OSTree transport are not affected. (source: CNA: redhat)

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (flatpak): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (flatpak): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (flatpak): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (flatpak): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.5 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.43% as of 2026-11-05; percentile 36.97%

- 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/security/cve/CVE-2026-96279 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2539417 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/security/advisories/GHSA-9rww-v4mm-x4jg (CNA: redhat)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96279; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-96279; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: 1a27b6e10d0ee43269adf4834ae8d04fb144bd32e6ae819c58b197a6c7980fcf

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-96279

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