CVE-2026-62268: Borgbackup Borg Extract Might Modify Out-of-tree Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-62268 is a MODERATE borg extract might modify out-of-tree vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Borgbackup libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves borg extract might modify out-of-tree files when extracting maliciously crafted archives. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.5, 2.0.0b22.
CVE-2026-62268 at a Glance
How to Fix CVE-2026-62268
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Borgbackup dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
pip install borgbackup>=1.4.5
pip install borgbackup>=2.0.0b22
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
pip show borgbackup
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2026-62268, inspect your installed packages using pip:
pip show borgbackup
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Borgbackup in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.5), your application is affected.
Note: The pip show borgbackup command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In Borgbackup, 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-2026-62268 Affected Borgbackup Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
borgbackup
|
PyPI |
< 1.4.5
|
1.4.5
|
|
borgbackup
|
PyPI |
≥ 2.0.0b1
< 2.0.0b22
|
2.0.0b22
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-62268?
Which Borgbackup versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-62268?
Is borgbackup affected?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-62268?
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-62268?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-gfp8-w835-v44j",
"modified" : "2026-10-15T20:09:23Z",
"published" : "2026-10-15T20:09:23Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-62268" ],
"summary" : "borg extract might modify out-of-tree files when extracting maliciously crafted archives",
"details" : "### Impact\n\nA maliciously crafted archive could contain a symlink (e.g. \"evil\" -> \"/etc\") followed by an item below it (\"evil/passwd\"), or an item whose path embeds \"..\" (e.g. \"a/../../etc/passwd\").\n\nWhen extracting such items, borg followed the symlink / resolved the \"..\", so it could delete or overwrite files outside the extraction directory.\n\nIn a quite similar scenario, a crafted archive could contain a slave hardlink item with the hardlink source pointing outside the extraction directory.\n\nWhen extracting such an item, borg would hard-link the outside and the inside item.\n \nNote: that sounds bad, but it is no big issue in practice: to create such a malicious archive, the attacker would need repository access and (for encrypted or authenticated repos) also the borg key and passphrase.\n\nAffected: likely all borg releases before 1.4.5 (and also all borg 2.0.0 betas before b22).\n\n### Patches\n- 1.4.x release series: fix released with 1.4.5. commits 3e9ed6d1ad6d3531b39c07b8ef3ecf41fce4437f and 141888f2fabcd57a300547c2aa63212cb213924d.\n- 1.2.x release series: no new releases any more, fix commits available on 1.2-maint branch: 0ac568e290518c3bbe781459978720dde7fab224 and d907f2cb57337041c4fa55ca4682895535e5076b\n- 2.0.0 betas: fix will be in 2.0.0b22, fix commits on master branch: 2d632531028b09da8ab5d1450f89bebcc205d640 and 4f37fdfed10b50559a0dd333b0d5581c642af329\n\n### Workarounds\nFor encrypted or authenticated repositories, do not share borg key and passphrase with potential attackers.\n\nFor all kinds of repositories, do not share repository access with potential attackers. Usually, the repository access is protected by means outside of borg; e.g. a ssh key for remote repositories or physical access to local storage media.\n\n### References\nThis issue was first discovered by AI in a private code security review initiated by @ThomasWaldmann.\n\nA few days later, it was also independently reported to @ThomasWaldmann by:\n- Michael Head (machin0r)\n- Chinnapak Charoensiri [Github: Ziim-eiei].",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V4",
"score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "PyPI",
"name" : "borgbackup"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.4.5"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "PyPI",
"name" : "borgbackup"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "2.0.0b1"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.0.0b22"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/security/advisories/GHSA-gfp8-w835-v44j"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/0ac568e290518c3bbe781459978720dde7fab224"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/141888f2fabcd57a300547c2aa63212cb213924d"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/2d632531028b09da8ab5d1450f89bebcc205d640"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/3e9ed6d1ad6d3531b39c07b8ef3ecf41fce4437f"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/4f37fdfed10b50559a0dd333b0d5581c642af329"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/commit/d907f2cb57337041c4fa55ca4682895535e5076b"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/releases/tag/1.4.5"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/borgbackup/borg/releases/tag/2.0.0b22"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-15T20:09:23Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}