---
title: "CVE-2026-101894: @xhmikosr/decompress: Path traversal via symlink chain"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-101894/
description: "CVE-2026-101894 (@xhmikosr/decompress (npm)): The decompress package for Node.js extracts archives. Prior to 10.2.2 and 11.1.4, the default…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-09-28
date_modified: 2026-09-29
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-101894"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.00814
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-101894: @xhmikosr/decompress: Path traversal via symlink chain

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.8% , percentile 57: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 57% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes @xhmikosr/decompress (npm) >= 11.0.0, <= 11.1.3, fixed in 11.1.4 ; @xhmikosr/decompress (npm) <= 10.2.1, fixed in 10.2.2 ; decompress (npm) <= 4.2.1, no fixed version listed . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

The decompress package for Node.js extracts archives. Prior to 10.2.2 and 11.1.4, the default decompress(input, output) API relies on lexical containment checks that do not account for the kernel following a planted symlink chain. An attacker can supply a crafted archive containing chained symlink entries so that a later entry resolves outside the output directory. This allows files outside output to be read or written, and overwriting startup scripts or configuration can lead to remote code execution. The maintained @xhmikosr/decompress package is fixed in 10.2.2 and 11.1.4, but the separately affected unmaintained decompress package remains unpatched through 4.2.1. This vulnerability results from a bypass of the incomplete hardening for CVE-2026-53486. @xhmikosr/decompress is fixed in versions 10.2.2 and 11.1.4.

## Affected packages

- npm `@xhmikosr/decompress` >= 11.0.0, <= 11.1.3 → fixed: 11.1.4
- npm `@xhmikosr/decompress` <= 10.2.1 → fixed: 10.2.2
- npm `decompress` <= 4.2.1 → fixed: none listed

## Affected products (CVE record)

- XhmikosR decompress: < 10.2.2, >= 11.0.0, < 11.1.4
- kevva decompress: <= 4.2.1

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.81% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 57.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-hrh2-vp3x-79xf](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hrh2-vp3x-79xf)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-101894](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-101894)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-101894](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-101894)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/security/advisories/GHSA-hrh2-vp3x-79xf)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/5f4b2f64abb31bbaf1fef8975b595fd7df2558d8)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/f6c88c668216d6a12c6cecf4fe0b6c70bf77050a)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/releases/tag/v10.2.2)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/releases/tag/v11.1.4)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-101894/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt