Critical Denial of Service Vulnerability in libarchive: Important Security Update Required
Summary
RLSA-2026:5080: Important: libarchive security update. Affects libarchive versions < 0:3.5.3-7.el9_7. Fixed in 0:3.5.3-7.el9_7. How to fix ↓
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Background
libarchive is a versatile programming library that enables the creation and reading of various streaming archive formats, such as GNU tar, cpio, and ISO 9660 CD-ROM images. It is widely utilized in tools like the bsdtar utility, scripting language bindings such as python-libarchive, and numerous popular desktop file managers. This library's broad usage makes it crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of systems relying on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-4111 presents an infinite loop denial of service (DoS) issue during the decompression of RAR5 files via the archive_read_data() function in libarchive. This flaw can be exploited by an attacker to create specially crafted RAR5 files that, when processed by libarchive, can cause the application to enter an infinite loop, leading to resource exhaustion and potential service disruption. The severity of this vulnerability is underscored by its CVSS score of 7.5, indicating a significant risk to affected systems.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
0:3.5.3-7.el9_7
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo dnf update libarchiveTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, users can avoid processing RAR5 files until the update is applied. This can help mitigate the risk of denial of service attacks exploiting this vulnerability.
Conclusion
The libarchive library is critical for various applications, and the identified CVE-2026-4111 vulnerability poses a significant risk through potential denial of service attacks. Users are strongly advised to update to the patched version to ensure system security and stability. For ongoing monitoring of vulnerabilities, consider using Vulert, which can alert you in real-time without requiring code access.
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FAQ
CVE-2026-4111 is a vulnerability in the libarchive library that can lead to an infinite loop denial of service when decompressing RAR5 files.
You can check if your application is affected by using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner, which allows you to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities without requiring installation.
The primary impact is a denial of service, where an attacker can exploit the vulnerability to cause applications using libarchive to hang or crash, leading to service disruptions.
Yes, a patch is available. Users should update to libarchive version 0:3.5.3-7.el9_7 to mitigate the vulnerability.
If an immediate update is not possible, avoid processing RAR5 files until the update can be applied to reduce the risk of exploitation.
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