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CVE-2026-39973

7.1 · HIGH

Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files.

Published Apr 21, 2026CWE-22EPSS 0.19%

Overview

CVE-2026-39973 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 21, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical description

Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in `brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java` allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (`apktool d`). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed `../` sequences in the `resources.arsc` Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including `~/.ssh/config`, `~/.bashrc`, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces `BrutIO.sanitizePath()` in `ResFileDecoder.java` before file write operations.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

GitHubgithub.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3GitHubgithub.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/pull/4041GitHubgithub.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/releases/tag/v3.0.2GitHubgithub.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/security/advisories/GHSA-m8mh-x359-vm8m

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-39973?

CVE-2026-39973 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on April 21, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-39973?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1, rated HIGH. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-39973?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-39973?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-39973 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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