---
id: "CVE-2026-124584"
page: "https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-124584"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-124584"]
title: "patool: gzip extraction follows symlinks, enabling local file writes"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 4.8
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "patool", "python"]
not_affected_if: ["different-version", "no-untrusted-archives"]
published_at: "2026-11-09T09:16:59+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-09T09:25:32+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-09T09:26:18+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-124584", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-09T09:25:32+00:00"}]
exploit_sources: []
---

# patool: gzip extraction follows symlinks, enabling local file writes

Link for people: https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-124584 (this .md is for agents)

patool 4.1.0, a Python archive extraction tool, follows symlinks in the extract_gzip function of patoolib/fileutil.py. A local attacker can use a crafted gzip archive to make extraction touch files outside the intended directory.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed version with `pip show patool` and see whether it is `4.1.0`.
- Look for calls to patool extraction of untrusted .gz archives in your scripts or CI jobs.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-09T09:25:32+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-124584

## Documents

- [advisory] Vendor advisory: github.com https://github.com/wummel/patool/security/advisories/GHSA-p24m-wf3f-3mf5

## From the sources

A vulnerability has been found in wummel patool 4.1.0. This vulnerability affects the function extract_gzip of the file patoolib/fileutil.py of the component Gzip Extraction Handler. The manipulation leads to symlink following. Local access is required to approach this attack. The researcher claims to have submitted a GHSA on the repository of the project.

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