---
title: "CVE-2026-59873: node-tar: Decompression/parse DoS via unlimited input"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-59873/
description: "CVE-2026-59873 (tar (npm)): node-tar is a tar archive manipulation library for Node.js. Prior to 7.5.19, node-tar does not enforce hard upper bounds on…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-07-08
date_modified: 2026-07-20
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-59873"
kev: false
cvss: 9.2
epss: 0.00582
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-59873: node-tar: Decompression/parse DoS via unlimited input

**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?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.6% , percentile 47: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 47% of all scored CVEs (low). 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 tar (npm) <= 7.5.18, fixed in 7.5.19 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

node-tar is a tar archive manipulation library for Node.js. Prior to 7.5.19, node-tar does not enforce hard upper bounds on total decompressed data, entry counts, or decompression ratio in extraction and parsing paths such as src/extract.ts, allowing a small crafted gzip bomb to exhaust disk space and CPU. This issue is fixed in version 7.5.19.

## Affected packages

- npm `tar` <= 7.5.18 → fixed: 7.5.19

## Affected products (CVE record)

- isaacs node-tar: < 7.5.19

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 4.0: 9.2 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.2 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable yes , technical impact partial .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.58% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 47.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-23hp-3jrh-7fpw](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-23hp-3jrh-7fpw)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-59873](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-59873)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-59873](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59873)
- [github.com](https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-23hp-3jrh-7fpw)
- [github.com](https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/2812e9338665659b183aa7226518c307044957d3)
- [github.com](https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/releases/tag/v7.5.19)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-59873/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt