GNU cpio is vulnerable to an uncontrolled memory allocation in the make_path function at src/makepath.c. The function uses alloca to allocate stack memory based on the length of argpath, which is derived from an archive-controlled pathname during extraction. A malicious cpio archive containing a sufficiently long nested pathname causes an unbounded stack allocation, resulting in a stack overflow and crash of the cpio process. An attacker who can supply a crafted cpio archive to a victim who extracts it can cause a denial of service. This issue has been fixed in commit 3cd514031371d8aeeaf2048aa10103e02831aaa9
Published: 2026-08-10
Updated: 2026-08-10
Base Score: 4.3
Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Severity: Medium
Base Score: 5.5
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Severity: Medium
Base Score: 4.6
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Severity: Medium
EPSS: 0.00132