# CVE-2026-97023: Flatpak path traversal in export/bin directory handling

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97023-a-path-traversal-vulnerability-in-flatpak-s-handling-of-the  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-09-28. Updated: 2026-09-28  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97023 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.1 · Published 2026-09-28

Flatpak, a system for sandboxing and deploying Linux applications, contains a path traversal vulnerability in how it handles the export/bin directory during app installation or upgrade. A malicious Flatpak app can exploit this to delete arbitrary files outside its deployment directory; on system-wide installations, these deletions occur with root privileges, potentially causing severe data loss or system disruption.

Technologies: [Flatpak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/flatpak). Vendors: [Flatpak](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/flatpak).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97023 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97023 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97023?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.1, published 28 September 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Flatpak <UNKNOWN>.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97023?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-97023 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97023?** Check whether you run Flatpak 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 flaw in Flatpak's export/bin directory processing allows a malicious app to craft symlinks that escape the deployment sandbox and target files elsewhere on the filesystem. The vulnerability requires user interaction (installing or upgrading an app) but no authentication; in system-wide deployments, operations are performed as root, amplifying impact. An attacker can cause arbitrary file deletion, with a fix expected from upstream.

## Affected products

- Flatpak Flatpak <UNKNOWN>

## Timeline

- 2026-09-28: disclosed

## References

- [https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/](https://access.redhat.com/downloads/content/package-browser/)
- [https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97023](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97023)

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- [Flatpak process ID namespace isolation bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97029-flatpak-s-process-id-namespace-separation-does-not-prevent-a)
- [Flatpak path traversal in files/etc directory during app deployment](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97024-a-path-traversal-vulnerability-in-flatpak-s-handling-of-the-files)
- [Flatpak heap buffer overflow in OCI delta stream parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-96280-the-oci-delta-stream-parser-read-sizes-as-guint64-but-passed-them)
- [Flatpak arbitrary file disclosure via OCI registry hardlink](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-96279-a-malicious-oci-registry-can-hardlink-arbitrary-host-files-into)