File permission modification via unsanitized archive paths
Published Jan 22, 2026 · Updated Aug 26, 2026
Path traversal in wheel 0.40.0 through 0.46.1 allows local users to alter file permissions when a malicious wheel is unpacked. The unpack function extracts a sanitized path but applies archive permission bits with chmod to a path rebuilt from the unsanitized header filename. Exploitation requires a user to unpack the crafted archive and can make files outside the destination writable, enabling later code or configuration modification.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in wheel 0.40.0 through 0.46.1 allows local users to alter file permissions when a malicious wheel is unpacked. The unpack function extracts a sanitized path but applies archive permission bits with chmod to a path rebuilt from the unsanitized header filename. Exploitation requires a user to unpack the crafted archive and can make files outside the destination writable, enabling later code or configuration modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-24049
- Published
- Jan 22, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Python Packaging Authority
- Product
- wheel
- Classifications
- CWE-22, CWE-732, T1222.002
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>= 0.40.0, < 0.46.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GHSA-8rrh-rw8j-w5fx malicious-wheel proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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