CVE-2026-49497: NSA Ghidra path traversal in SameDirDebugInfoProvider

CVE-2026-49497 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.3 · Published 2026-06-10

Ghidra, a software reverse-engineering suite, is vulnerable to a security flaw when processing certain types of Linux (ELF) files. An attacker can create a specially crafted file that, when opened by a researcher, allows the attacker to verify the existence of sensitive files on the researcher's computer and obtain mathematical fingerprints (CRC32 hashes) of those files. This could lead to the exposure of private system information or configuration details.

Technologies: National Security Agency Ghidra. Vendors: National Security Agency.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-49497 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-49497 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-49497?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.3, published 10 June 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
National Security Agency Ghidra < 12.1.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-49497?
A patch was published on 2026-06-10: Fixed in version 12.1 Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-49497 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-49497?
Check whether you run National Security Agency Ghidra 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 path traversal vulnerability exists in Ghidra's 'SameDirDebugInfoProvider' class due to a failure to sanitize filenames retrieved from the '.gnu_debuglink' section of ELF binaries. While the sibling class 'LocalDirDebugLinkProvider' implements 'ensureSafeFilename()', this check was omitted in 'SameDirDebugInfoProvider'. An attacker can provide a filename containing '../' sequences; when the DWARF analyzer (enabled by default) processes the binary, it resolves these paths. If a targeted file exists, Ghidra calculates its CRC32 hash and logs it, providing a side-channel for an attacker to confirm file existence and obtain content hashes. This is particularly impactful in automated or headless analysis environments where logs are returned to the submitter.

Affected products

  • NSA Ghidra < 12.1

Timeline

  • 2026-05-14: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
  • 2026-06-10: disclosed: NVD publication date
  • 2026-06-10: patched: Fixed in version 12.1

References

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