Vulnerability · Published Oct 21, 2026 · Assigned by redhat
CVE-2026-85518Openscap: openscap: arbitrary file write via path traversal in source datastream decomposition
Medium 6.1
In plain English
A medium-severity path traversal in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 from Red Hat. Proof-of-concept exploit code is public. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.4% (higher than 39% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
A flaw was found in OpenSCAP. When decomposing a Source DataStream (SDS) file, the application does not properly validate relative file path attributes, leading to a path traversal vulnerability. An attacker can exploit this flaw by tricking a user or automated system into decomposing a crafted datastream containing directory traversal sequences. Successful exploitation allows unauthorized file creation or modification outside the intended target directory with the permissions of the executing process.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | openscap | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85518 |
| Debian:13 | openscap | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85518 |
| Debian:14 | openscap | 1.4.6+dfsg-1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-85518 |
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Hardened Images | see references |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | see references |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | see references |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | see references |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | see references |
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | see references |
Weakness: CWE-22 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
References
- RHSA-2026:88330 vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-85518 vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT
- RHBZ#2478522 issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT