GNU libextractor before 1.16 Privilege Escalation via LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX
GNU libextractor before 1.16 loads plugins from an untrusted search path specified by the LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX environment variable without proper privilege checks. A local attacker can exploit this by setting LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX to a directory containing a malicious plugin that executes arbitrary code with elevated privileges when loaded by a setuid or setgid program.
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 30, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 3th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-426
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Report tools
Action score
29
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 29 / 40 · 7.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · VulnCheck
- 7.3
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
GNU libextractor
- before 1.16affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | libextractor | all versions | — |
| Debian:14 | libextractor | before 1:1.17-1 | 1:1.17-1 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2018-16430GNU Libextractor through 1.7 has an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in EXTRACTOR_zip_extract_method() in zip_extractor.c.36Monitor
- CVE-2018-14346GNU Libextractor before 1.7 has a stack-based buffer overflow in ec_read_file_func (unzip.c).36Monitor
- CVE-2026-91752GNU libextractor before 1.15 Stack Overflow via OLE234Monitor
- CVE-2017-15600In GNU Libextractor 1.4, there is a NULL Pointer Dereference in the EXTRACTOR_nsf_extract_method function of plugins/nsf_extractor.c.31Monitor
- CVE-2017-15267In GNU Libextractor 1.4, there is a NULL Pointer Dereference in flac_metadata in flac_extractor.c.31Monitor
- CVE-2017-15602In GNU Libextractor 1.4, there is an integer signedness error for the chunk size in the EXTRACTOR_nsfe_extract_method function in plugins/ns30Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:libextractor | 1:1.17-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Haitam Lazaarfinder
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-426 · Untrusted Search PathCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- ftp.gnu.org/gnu/libextractor/
- git.gnunet.org/gnunet/libextractor/commit/6edfa653c048800e24a17f7e8cc2bb42659b8d01.html
- github.com/Haitam-lazaar/libextractor-privesc
- www.gnu.org/software/libextractor/
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/gnu-libextractor-before-1.16-privilege-escalation-via-libextractor-prefix
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/25/25
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.