CVE-2026-40491: gdown Path Traversal

Description

gdown is a Google Drive public file/folder downloader. Versions prior to 5.2.2 are vulnerable to a Path Traversal attack within the extractall functionality. When extracting a maliciously crafted ZIP or TAR archive, the library fails to sanitize or validate the filenames of the archive members. This allow files to be written outside the intended destination directory, potentially leading to arbitrary file overwrite and Remote Code Execution (RCE). Version 5.2.2 contains a fix.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0005

Probability of exploitation

0.16%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-22 Path Traversal

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
wkentaro	gdown	< 5.2.2

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/commit/af569fc6ed300b7974dee66dc51e9f01b57b4dff https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f

Exploits

https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f

Other References

https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/releases/tag/v5.2.2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-40491? +

gdown is a Google Drive public file/folder downloader. Versions prior to 5.2.2 are vulnerable to a Path Traversal attack within the extractall functionality. When extracting a maliciously crafted ZIP or TAR archive, the library fails to sanitize or validate the filenames of the archive members. This allow files to be written outside the intended destination directory, potentially leading to arbitrary file overwrite and Remote Code Execution (RCE). Version 5.2.2 contains a fix. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-40491? +

CVE-2026-40491 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0005, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-40491? +

CVE-2026-40491 affects products from wkentaro, specifically: gdown. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-40491? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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