---
title: "CVE-2026-53486: Decompress: Archive extraction can create files and links outside of the target directory"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-53486/
description: "CVE-2026-53486 (@xhmikosr/decompress (npm)): The decompress package for Node.js extracts archives. Prior to 10.2.1 and 11.1.3, archive extraction can create…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-07-14
date_modified: 2026-07-15
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-53486"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.00749
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-53486: Decompress: Archive extraction can create files and links outside of the target directory

**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 0.7% , percentile 54: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.7% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 54% 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) < 10.2.1, fixed in 10.2.1 ; @xhmikosr/decompress (npm) >= 11.0.0, < 11.1.3, fixed in 11.1.3 ; 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 10.2.1 and 11.1.3, archive extraction can create files and links outside the target directory. When extracting an archive to a directory, a crafted archive can read or write files outside that directory because hardlink and symlink entries are created without checking where targets point, path containment used a string prefix comparison, and file modes failed to remove setuid, setgid, or sticky bits. This issue is fixed in @xhmikosr/decompress versions 10.2.1 and 11.1.3.

## Affected packages

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

## Affected products (CVE record)

- XhmikosR decompress: < 10.2.1, >= 11.0.0, < 11.1.3

## 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): 0.75% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 54.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-mp2f-45pm-3cg9](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mp2f-45pm-3cg9)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-53486](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53486)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-53486](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53486)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/security/advisories/GHSA-mp2f-45pm-3cg9)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/281cefa00cd4275c10479bc5f1abba6b14dee8bd)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/60b5299402e72b0b53ca2e55222e9a1ccb44afae)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/9fcda4b0a66ca22dc8d337f9b0e7c30293c5fb89)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/aca5aac415dc04a6fae5200e51368cff436a09dd)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/releases/tag/v10.2.1)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/releases/tag/v11.1.3)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/281cefa)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/60b5299)
- [github.com](https://github.com/XhmikosR/decompress/commit/aca5aac)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-53486/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt