proot-distro is a utility for managing proot containers. Prior to version 5.1.5, proot-distro install extracted plain tarball root filesystems through _extract_plain_tar() in proot_distro/commands/install.py and Docker layers through _apply_layer() in proot_distro/helpers/docker.py without validating archive-controlled symlink targets in member.linkname, allowing a malicious archive to plant an absolute host-path symlink and write files through it onto the host filesystem. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.5.

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Scope Changed

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact None

User Interaction Required

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

No EPSS score available.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions
termux proot-distro affected
Version Status Constraints
< 5.1.5 affected —

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Project Subscriptions

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 `proot-distro install` has a Symlink Escape (Arbitrary Host File Write) via Malicious Tar Archive
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/commit/a96d7a9667f38e45d812614852ee3915d1c0ae45 cve-icon
https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/releases/tag/v5.1.5 cve-icon
https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/security/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7 cve-icon
History

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description proot-distro is a utility for managing proot containers. Prior to version 5.1.5, proot-distro install extracted plain tarball root filesystems through _extract_plain_tar() in proot_distro/commands/install.py and Docker layers through _apply_layer() in proot_distro/helpers/docker.py without validating archive-controlled symlink targets in member.linkname, allowing a malicious archive to plant an absolute host-path symlink and write files through it onto the host filesystem. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.5.
Title `proot-distro install` has a Symlink Escape (Arbitrary Host File Write) via Malicious Tar Archive
Weaknesses CWE-61
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.2, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N'}

Projects

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cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-07-29T16:32:15.576Z

Reserved: 2026-06-15T19:15:27.343Z

Link: CVE-2026-54574

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

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cve-icon Redhat

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cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

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Weaknesses