CVE-2026-56876: Extract zip Path Traversal Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jmr9-qjv8-65gv
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-56876 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Extract zip libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves extract-zip unvalidated symlink path traversal. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-56876 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-56876
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jmr9-qjv8-65gv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Extract zip
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-56876

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Extract zip dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

extract-zip fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install extract-zip@Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls extract-zip

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-56876, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls extract-zip

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Extract zip in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls extract-zip command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Extract zip, 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

extract-zip does not validate symlink targets when extracting zip archives. When processing a malicious zip file containing a symlink with a relative path like '../../../../etc/passwd', extract-zip will extract the symlink without validation, allowing it to point outside the extraction directory. Depending on how extract-zip is used, an attacker could read or write to arbitrary files.

CVE-2026-56876 Affected Extract zip Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
extract-zip
npm/extract-zip
npm
≤ 2.0.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/ziad626/extract-zip-security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-x7jf-2287-qcpf
NVD — CVE-2026-56876 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-56876
Extract zip Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/max-mapper/extract-zip
raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/csaf/develo... WEB
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-177-01.json
CVE Official Record — CVE-2026-56876 CVE
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-56876

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-56876?
CVE-2026-56876 is a security vulnerability in Extract zip involving extract-zip unvalidated symlink path traversal under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Extract zip versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: extract-zip.
What version fixes CVE-2026-56876?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is extract-zip affected?
Yes, extract-zip is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-56876?
CVE-2026-56876 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-56876?
CVE-2026-56876 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-56876?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls extract-zip'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-jmr9-qjv8-65gv",
  "modified" : "2026-08-12T19:22:03Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-26T18:34:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-56876" ],
  "summary" : "extract-zip unvalidated symlink path traversal",
  "details" : "extract-zip does not validate symlink targets when extracting zip archives. When processing a malicious zip file containing a symlink with a relative path like '../../../../etc/passwd', extract-zip will extract the symlink without validation, allowing it to point outside the extraction directory. Depending on how extract-zip is used, an attacker could read or write to arbitrary files.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "extract-zip"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ziad626/extract-zip-security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-x7jf-2287-qcpf"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-56876"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/max-mapper/extract-zip"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-177-01.json"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-56876"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-12T19:22:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-26T18:17:03Z"
  }
}