`proot-distro install` has a Symlink Escape (Arbitrary Host File Write) via Malicious Tar Archive
Published Jul 29, 2026
8.2
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 0.19%
Description
proot-distro is a utility for managing proot containers. Prior to version 5.1.5, proot-distro install extracted plain tarball root filesystems through _extract_plain_tar() in proot_distro/commands/install.py and Docker layers through _apply_layer() in proot_distro/helpers/docker.py without validating archive-controlled symlink targets in member.linkname, allowing a malicious archive to plant an absolute host-path symlink and write files through it onto the host filesystem. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.5.
Affected products
-
- Version < 5.1.5StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Termux | Proot-Distro | n/a |
|
No data.
No data.
No Red Hat product state for this CVE.
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v2.0 score for this CVE.
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
CISA SSVC (Vulnrichment)
Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization from CISA ADP.
Exploitation
PoCAutomatable
NoTechnical Impact
TotalDecision
n/aAssessed Jul 29, 2026 · SSVC 2.0.3
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 4, 2026.
Score over time
Jul-Oct 2026- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v5
Table of values (2 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed. Showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 4, 2026 | 0.19% (0.00187) | 7.48th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jul 30, 2026 | 0.14% (0.00145) | 4.27th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
References (4)
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 Advisory
- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/commit/a96d7a9667f38e45d812614852ee3915d1c0ae45 x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/releases/tag/v5.1.5 x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/security/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 exploitx_refsource_CONFIRM
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 | Advisory | |
| https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/commit/a96d7a9667f38e45d812614852ee3915d1c0ae45 | x_refsource_MISC | |
| https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/releases/tag/v5.1.5 | x_refsource_MISC | |
| https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/security/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 | exploitx_refsource_CONFIRM |
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.