CVE-2026-40491
gdown Affected by Arbitrary File Write via Path Traversal in gdown.extractall
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.
INFO
Published Date :
April 18, 2026, 3:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
May 1, 2026, 6:24 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update gdown to version 5.2.2 or later.
- Ensure proper filename validation for archives.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github
CVE-2026-40491 has a 2 public
PoC/Exploit available at Github.
Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-40491.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/commit/af569fc6ed300b7974dee66dc51e9f01b57b4dff | Patch |
| https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/releases/tag/v5.2.2 | Release Notes |
| https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f | Exploit Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-40491 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-40491
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
None
None
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-40491 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-40491 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
May. 01, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:wkentaro:gdown:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 5.2.2 Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/commit/af569fc6ed300b7974dee66dc51e9f01b57b4dff Types: Patch Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/releases/tag/v5.2.2 Types: Release Notes Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f Types: Exploit, Vendor Advisory -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Apr. 18, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N Added CWE CWE-22 Added Reference https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/commit/af569fc6ed300b7974dee66dc51e9f01b57b4dff Added Reference https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/releases/tag/v5.2.2 Added Reference https://github.com/wkentaro/gdown/security/advisories/GHSA-76hw-p97h-883f