Status: UPDATED | Advisory ID: CVE-2026-39973
| CVE | CVE-2026-39973 |
| CVSS Score / Version | 7.1 (High) / CVSS v3.1 |
| Updated | 2026-06-17 |
| CVSS Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
| CVSS Prose | attack vector is local; attack complexity is low; privileges required is none; user interaction is required; scope is unchanged; confidentiality impact is high; integrity impact is high; availability impact is none. |
| Affected products | apktool apktool |
| Classified as | CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) |
| Vendor | Product | Affected Versions | Patch Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| apktool | apktool |
| Subsystems | General OT |
| Sectors | Multiple |
Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (`apktool d`). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed `../` sequences in the `resources.arsc` Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including `~/.ssh/config`, `~/.bashrc`, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` in `ResFileDecoder.java` before file write operations. (NVD)
Monitor apktool's web page for any future patch releases. See vendor advisory link below.