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

Advisory record · `GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7`

- **Identifiers:** `GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7` · `CVE-2026-54574` · `PYSEC-2026-3608`
- **State:** Confirmed
- **Severity:** CVSS 8.2 High
- **Critical:** No
- **Weakness (CWE):** [CWE-61](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/61.html)
- **Tags:** [CWE-61](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/cwe-61.md)
- **Published:** 29 Jul 2026
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2026
- **Reviewed by a person:** No

Published by the GitHub Advisory Database at 29 Jul 2026, 16:32 UTC. agentprime has not analysed this yet, so whether it affects any app is not known.

## Affected packages

- `proot-distro` (PyPI): affected `<5.1.5`; fixed in `5.1.5`

## Machine-written summary

Summary written by Claude Haiku from the source advisory. Not reviewed by a person.

> Affected: proot-distro versions before 5.1.5. The install extraction code does not check symlink targets, so a crafted tar archive can plant a symlink that points to a host path and then write files through it. An attacker who gets a user to run proot-distro install on a malicious archive (for example one delivered by a download or CI artifact) can write files on the host at the Termux process's privilege level, such as shell startup files. Upgrade to proot-distro 5.1.5 or later.

Written 5 Nov 2026.

## Not analysed yet

We haven’t published our analysis of this Advisory yet. Once a person has reviewed it, this page will say what’s vulnerable, what has to be true for your app to be affected, and how to check.

## Severity and exploitation

- 8.2 High, CVSS 3.1: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`, from CNA (GitHub_M)

- **CISA KEV:** Not listed.
- **EPSS:** 0.0021, the 11th percentile, on 5 Nov 2026: FIRST’s estimate of the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Timeline

- 31 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTC: First seen by agentprime
- 31 Oct 2026, 14:41 UTC: [Confirmed by OSV](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7)

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory Database: GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7)
- [OSV: GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7)
- <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>
- <https://github.com/termux/proot-distro/releases/tag/v5.1.5>

Facts on this page come from the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0), OSV and the other sources listed, as published. We don’t reproduce full advisory descriptions, which can contain exploit code.

## Check whether this affects you

A Match means an installed version is in the affected range above. Most don’t affect the app; agentprime hasn’t analysed this one yet.

- With the agentprime MCP server (<https://api.agentprime.io/mcp>), ask your agent to check the project: `check_lockfile` sends a lockfile, `check_packages` a list of installed packages, and both return the Matches and the upgrades that clear them. `get_advisory` returns this record. Setup: <https://agentprime.io/mcp.md>
- In a browser: <https://agentprime.io/check/> reads your lockfile in the browser, never uploading it.
- Whether it touches your code, with file and line: the Claude Code plugin, <https://agentprime.io/plugin.md>
- As JSON: <https://api.agentprime.io/v1/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7>, or `POST https://api.agentprime.io/v1/match` with your packages (<https://agentprime.io/api.md>)

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The web page: <https://agentprime.io/advisories/GHSA-9xq3-3fqg-4vg7/>. Everything for agents: <https://agentprime.io/llms.txt>.