# CVE-2026-15028: libarchive heap overflow in PAX SUN.holesdata parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-15028-libarchive-heap-overflow-in-pax-sun-holesdata-parsing  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-10. Updated: 2026-07-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-15028 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.9 · Published 2026-07-10

A security flaw was identified in libarchive, a widely used library for reading and writing various archive formats like ZIP and TAR. By providing a specially crafted archive file, an attacker could cause the software to crash or potentially execute unauthorized commands. This could lead to a disruption of service or unauthorized access to systems that process untrusted archive files.

Technologies: [Libarchive](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/libarchive), [Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/enterprise-linux-10), [Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/enterprise-linux-8), [Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/enterprise-linux-9). Vendors: [Libarchive](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/libarchive), [Red Hat](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/red-hat).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-15028 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-15028 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-15028?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.9, published 10 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Libarchive f0b9700384541c0f0f4abf6da8565d474ea7f783.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-15028?** A patch was published on 2026-07-07: Fix merged into libarchive master branch Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-15028 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-15028?** Check whether you run Libarchive, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A heap-based out-of-bounds (OOB) read vulnerability exists in libarchive's TAR format support, specifically within the `pax_attribute_SUN_holesdata` function in `archive_read_support_format_tar.c`. The flaw is caused by `header_pax_extension()` passing an attribute value length to `pax_attribute()` that excludes the trailing newline, leading the parser to read one byte past the allocated buffer when `length == 0`. An attacker can exploit this by providing a specially crafted TAR archive with a malformed `SUN.holesdata` PAX extended header. While the reported CVSS reflects a low-impact local scenario, OOB reads in this component can lead to denial of service (crash) or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the memory allocator's state. A fix has been merged into the libarchive master branch.

## Affected products

- libarchive libarchive f0b9700384541c0f0f4abf6da8565d474ea7f783
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Red Hat Hardened Images

## Timeline

- 2026-07-06: disclosed: Issue reported on GitHub
- 2026-07-07: patched: Fix merged into libarchive master branch
- 2026-07-10: advisory: NVD and Red Hat published advisory details

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-15028](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-15028)
- [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2497970](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2497970)
- [https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/3251](https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/issues/3251)
- [https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/pull/3253](https://github.com/libarchive/libarchive/pull/3253)

## Related threats

- [Windows Libarchive double free vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-70062-double-free-in-windows-libarchive-allows-an-unauthorized-attacker)
- [Windows Libarchive path traversal vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-69973-improper-limitation-of-a-pathname-to-a-restricted-directory-path)
- [Libarchive relative path traversal in Windows](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-69968-relative-path-traversal-in-windows-libarchive-allows-an)
- [libarchive gzip writer heap buffer overflow in original-filename](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-64031-libarchive-gzip-writer-heap-buffer-overflow-in-original-filename)
- [Red Hat yggdrasil-worker-package-manager argument injection in APT backend](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18157-red-hat-yggdrasil-worker-package-manager-argument-injection-in)