CVE catalog

CVE-2026-53655

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 inte

[CVE catalog]

Severity
Medium · CVSS 6.9CVSS: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
Published
Source
[NVD] · [CVE record]
EPSS
0.16% · Oct 25, 2026

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.

Vulnerable and fixed packages

Distribution-reported package versions and fixes. These do not depend on matching against the OpenFactory package catalog.

DistributionPackageReleaseVersionStatus
Debiannode-tarsid7.5.22+~4.0.1-1fixed
Debiannode-tarforky7.5.22+~4.0.1-1fixed
Debiannode-tartrixie6.2.1+~cs7.0.8-1+deb13u1vulnerable
Debiannode-tarbookworm6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1vulnerable
Debiannode-tarbookworm-security6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1+deb12u1vulnerable
Cpenode-tarNot reportedNot reportedvulnerable
CpetarNot reported7.5.16fixed
NpmtarNot reported7.5.16fixed
CpetarNot reported7.5.16fixed

Fixed-version evidence

DistributionPackageTypeReleaseFixed versionUrgencyOriginBugs
Debiannode-tarsourcesid7.5.16+~4.0.1-2not yet assignedNot reportedNot reported
Debiannode-tarsourceforky7.5.16+~4.0.1-2not yet assignedNot reportedNot reported
Debiannode-tarsourcetrixie(unfixed)not yet assignedNot reportedNot reported
Debiannode-tarsourcebookworm(unfixed)not yet assignedNot reportedNot reported
CpetarcpeNot reported7.5.16Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
NpmtarnpmNot reported7.5.16Not reportedGHSA-VMF3-W455-68VHNot reported
CpetarcpeNot reported7.5.16Not reportedNVD-CVE-2026-53655Not reported

Notes

[trixie] node-tar: Minor issue [bookworm] node-tar: Minor issue

OpenFactory catalog packages

[Debian 12 (Bookworm)]

  • [node-tar]Affected
    Details (4)
    • 6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1 · all · bookworm

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · bookworm; nvd · node-tar · debian · 12

    • 6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1 · all · bookworm

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · bookworm; nvd · node-tar · debian · 12

    • 6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1+deb12u1 · all · bookworm-security

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · bookworm; nvd · node-tar · debian · 12

    • 6.1.13+~cs7.0.5-1+deb12u1 · all · bookworm-security

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · bookworm; nvd · node-tar · debian · 12

[Debian 13 (Trixie)]

  • [node-tar]Affected
    Details (2)
    • 6.2.1+~cs7.0.8-1+deb13u1 · all · trixie

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · 13

    • 6.2.1+~cs7.0.8-1+deb13u1 · all · trixie

      Affected

      nvd · node-tar · debian · 13

Observed:

References