CVE-2026-24846: Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent Path Traversal Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-24846 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-683: Function Call With Incorrect Order of Arguments) affecting Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves malcontent vulnerable to symlink path traversal via handlesymlink argument confusion in archive extraction. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.20.3.
CVE-2026-24846 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-24846
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
Upgrade github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent to 1.20.3Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
inspect dependencies for github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontentHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2026-24846, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent:
inspect dependencies for github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontentAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.20.3), your application is affected.
Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-683: Function Call With Incorrect Order of Arguments, where the product calls a function, procedure, or routine, but the caller specifies the arguments in an incorrect order, leading to resultant weaknesses. In Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2026-24846 Affected Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent
|
Go |
≥ 1.8.0
< 1.20.3
|
1.20.3
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-24846?
Which Github.com/chainguard dev/malcontent versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-24846?
Is github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-24846?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-24846?
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2026-24846?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-923j-vrcg-hxwh",
"modified" : "2026-01-31T03:33:39Z",
"published" : "2026-01-29T22:05:15Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-24846" ],
"summary" : "malcontent vulnerable to symlink Path Traversal via handleSymlink argument confusion in archive extraction",
"details" : "malcontent could be made to create symlinks outside the intended extraction directory when scanning a specially crafted tar or deb archive. The `handleSymlink` function received arguments in the wrong order, causing the symlink target to be used as the symlink location. Additionally, symlink targets were not validated to ensure they resolved within the extraction directory.\n\n**Fixes:**\n- [Swap handleSymlink arguments; validate symlink location](https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/a7dd8a5328ddbaf235568437813efa7591e00017)\n- [Validate symlink targets resolve within extraction directory](https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/259fca5abc004f3ab238895463ef280a87f30e96)\n\n**Acknowledgements**\n\nThank you to Oleh Konko from [1seal](https://1seal.org/) for discovering and reporting this issue.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Go",
"name" : "github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.8.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.20.3"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/security/advisories/GHSA-923j-vrcg-hxwh"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-24846"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/259fca5abc004f3ab238895463ef280a87f30e96"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent/commit/a7dd8a5328ddbaf235568437813efa7591e00017"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/chainguard-dev/malcontent"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-683" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-01-29T22:05:15Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-29T22:15:54Z"
}
}