CVE catalog
CVE-2026-39973
Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted
- Severity
- High · CVSS 7.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Published
- Source
- [NVD] · [CVE record]
- EPSS
- 0.18% · Oct 25, 2026
Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (`apktool d`). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed `../` sequences in the `resources.arsc` Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including `~/.ssh/config`, `~/.bashrc`, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` in `ResFileDecoder.java` before file write operations.
Vulnerable and fixed packages
Distribution-reported package versions and fixes. These do not depend on matching against the OpenFactory package catalog.
| Distribution | Package | Release | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | apktool | sid | 2.7.0+dfsg-7.2 | not affected |
| Debian | apktool | forky | 2.7.0+dfsg-7.2 | not affected |
| Debian | apktool | trixie | 2.7.0+dfsg-7 | not affected |
| Debian | apktool | bookworm | 2.7.0+dfsg-6+deb12u1 | not affected |
| Cpe | apktool | Not reported | 3.0.2 | fixed |
| Cpe | apktool | Not reported | 3.0.2 | fixed |
Fixed-version evidence
| Distribution | Package | Type | Release | Fixed version | Urgency | Origin | Bugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | apktool | source | sid | Not affected | unimportant | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | apktool | source | forky | Not affected | unimportant | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | apktool | source | trixie | Not affected | unimportant | Not reported | Not reported |
| Debian | apktool | source | bookworm | Not affected | unimportant | Not reported | Not reported |
| Cpe | apktool | cpe | Not reported | 3.0.2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Cpe | apktool | cpe | Not reported | 3.0.2 | Not reported | NVD-CVE-2026-39973 | Not reported |
OpenFactory catalog packages
[Debian 12 (Bookworm)]
- [apktool]Not affected
Details (2)
2.7.0+dfsg-6+deb12u1· amd64 · bookwormNot affected
nvd · apktool · debian · bookworm
2.7.0+dfsg-6+deb12u1· arm64 · bookwormNot affected
nvd · apktool · debian · bookworm
Observed:
References
- [https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3]
- [https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/pull/4041]
- [https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/releases/tag/v3.0.2]
- [https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/security/advisories/GHSA-m8mh-x359-vm8m]
- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-39973]
- [https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-39973]
[Debian Security Tracker] · [FIRST EPSS] · [National Vulnerability Database (NVD)]