---
title: "CVE-2026-53655\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-53655?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2026-53655

Publication date 22 June 2026

Last updated 29 June 2026

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**5.5 · Medium**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-53655?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

node-tar is a full-featured Tar for Node.js. Prior to 7.5.16, tar
(node-tar) applies a PAX extended header's size= record (and other PAX
overrides) to the next header entry of any type, including intermediary
metadata headers such as a GNU long-name (L) or long-link (K) entry. Per
POSIX pax, a PAX extended header (x) describes the next file entry, not the
intermediary extension headers that may sit between the x header and the
file it annotates. Because node-tar lets the PAX size override the byte
length of an intervening L/K/x header, an attacker can desynchronize
node-tar's stream cursor relative to every other mainstream tar
implementation (GNU tar, libarchive/bsdtar, Python tarfile, and the
now-fixed tar-rs / astral-tokio-tar). The result is a tar parser
interpretation differential (CWE-436): a single crafted archive yields a
different set of members under node-tar than under the reference tar tools.
An attacker can use this to hide a member from one parser while it is
visible to another, which defeats security tooling whose scanner and
extractor disagree on archive contents (e.g. a malware/secret scanner that
lists entries with one library while a downstream step extracts with
another) This vulnerability is fixed in 7.5.16.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| node-tar | 26.04 LTS resolute | Needs evaluation |
| 25.10 questing | Ignored end of life, was needs-triage |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Needs evaluation |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Needs evaluation |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Needs evaluation |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Needs evaluation |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Needs evaluation |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Needs evaluation |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:

CVSS v4.0

[CVSS v4.0](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-53655?format=md)
[CVSS v3.0](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-53655?format=md)

**Base score**

6.9 · Medium

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Local |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Attack requirements | None |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Vulnerable system - Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Vulnerable system - Integrity impact | High |
  | Vulnerable system - Availability impact | None |
  | Subsequent system - Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Subsequent system - Integrity impact | None |
  | Subsequent system - Availability impact | None |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 6.9 · Medium |
  | Base + Threat score | - |
  | Base + Environmental score | - |
  | Base + Threat + Environmental score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2026-53655)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53655)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2026-53655)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-53655)

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53655>