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CVE-2026-53655

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. Prior to 7.5.16, tar (node-tar) applies a PAX extended header's size= record (and other PAX overrides) to the next header entry of any type, including intermediary metadata headers such as a GNU long-name (L) or long-link (K) entry. Per POSIX pax, a PAX extended header (x) describes the next file entry, not the intermediary extension headers that may sit between the x header and the file it annotates. Because node-tar lets the PAX size override the byte length of an intervening L/K/x header, an attacker can desynchronize node-tar's stream cursor relative to every other mainstream tar implementation (GNU tar, libarchive/bsdtar, Python tarfile, and the now-fixed tar-rs / astral-tokio-tar). The result is a tar parser interpretation differential (CWE-436): a single crafted archive yields a different set of members under node-tar than under the reference tar tools. An attacker can use this to hide a member from one parser while it is visible to another, which defeats security tooling whose scanner and extractor disagree on archive contents (e.g. a malware/secret scanner that lists entries with one library while a downstream step extracts with another) This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.16.

Severity
MEDIUM
CVSS score
6.9 (v4.0)
Vulnerability status
Analyzed
Source identifier
Published
2026-06-22 16:16:38.593000
Last modified
2026-10-25 23:10:00.167000
View original CVE JSON
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-53655",
  "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]",
  "published": "2026-06-22T16:16:38.593",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-25T23:10:00.167",
  "vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. Prior to 7.5.16, tar (node-tar) applies a PAX extended header's size= record (and other PAX overrides) to the next header entry of any type, including intermediary metadata headers such as a GNU long-name (L) or long-link (K) entry. Per POSIX pax, a PAX extended header (x) describes the next file entry, not the intermediary extension headers that may sit between the x header and the file it annotates. Because node-tar lets the PAX size override the byte length of an intervening L/K/x header, an attacker can desynchronize node-tar's stream cursor relative to every other mainstream tar implementation (GNU tar, libarchive/bsdtar, Python tarfile, and the now-fixed tar-rs / astral-tokio-tar). The result is a tar parser interpretation differential (CWE-436): a single crafted archive yields a different set of members under node-tar than under the reference tar tools. An attacker can use this to hide a member from one parser while it is visible to another, which defeats security tooling whose scanner and extractor disagree on archive contents (e.g. a malware/secret scanner that lists entries with one library while a downstream step extracts with another) This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.16."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "node-tar es un Tar con todas las funciones para Node.js. Antes de la versión 7.5.16, tar (node-tar) aplica un registro size= de una cabecera extendida PAX (y otras anulaciones PAX) a la siguiente entrada de cabecera de cualquier tipo, incluyendo cabeceras de metadatos intermedias como una entrada de nombre largo (L) o enlace largo (K) de GNU. Según POSIX pax, una cabecera extendida PAX (x) describe la siguiente entrada de archivo, no las cabeceras de extensión intermedias que pueden situarse entre la cabecera x y el archivo que anota. Debido a que node-tar permite que el tamaño PAX anule la longitud en bytes de una cabecera L/K/x intermedia, un atacante puede desincronizar el cursor de flujo de node-tar en relación con cualquier otra implementación principal de tar (GNU tar, libarchive/bsdtar, Python tarfile, y los ahora corregidos tar-rs / astral-tokio-tar). El resultado es un diferencial de interpretación del analizador de tar (CWE-436): un único archivo manipulado produce un conjunto diferente de miembros bajo node-tar que bajo las herramientas de tar de referencia. Un atacante puede usar esto para ocultar un miembro de un analizador mientras es visible para otro, lo que anula las herramientas de seguridad cuyo escáner y extractor no concuerdan en el contenido del archivo (por ejemplo, un escáner de malware/secretos que lista entradas con una biblioteca mientras un paso posterior extrae con otra). Esta vulnerabilidad se corrige en la versión 7.5.16."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "isaacs",
          "product": "node-tar",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "< 7.5.16",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV40": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "4.0",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
          "baseScore": 6.9,
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "attackRequirements": "NONE",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Primary",
        "cvssData": {
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          "baseScore": 5.5,
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "availabilityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
        "impactScore": 3.6
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-06-23T14:15:18.405283Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-53655",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "poc"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "type": "Secondary",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-436"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "operator": "OR",
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "vulnerable": true,
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:isaacs:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*",
              "versionEndExcluding": "7.5.16",
              "matchCriteriaId": "ED10D25A-3224-4162-8176-25896AB77D3E"
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  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-vmf3-w455-68vh",
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Mitigation",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-vmf3-w455-68vh",
      "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
      "tags": [
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}