# ORAS Project oras-java-sdk path traversal in ArchiveUtils symlink handling

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/oras-project-oras-java-sdk-path-traversal-in-archiveutils-symlink-5126440b  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-01. Updated: 2026-07-01  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

Severity: low · CVSS 8.6 · Published 2026-07-01

A vulnerability in the ORAS Java SDK, a tool used to interact with OCI registries and manage cloud artifacts, allows an attacker to write malicious files to arbitrary locations on a user's system. By providing a specially crafted archive (tar or zip) containing malicious symbolic links, an attacker can bypass security checks and overwrite critical system files or configuration data. This could lead to a complete system takeover, service outages, or the theft of credentials when the SDK is used to pull and extract artifacts.

Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [ORAS Project](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/oras-project).

## Quick answers

**Is This vulnerability exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of This vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is This vulnerability?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 8.6, published 1 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** land.oras:oras-java-sdk (Maven) <= 0.6.3; ORAS Project Oras-Java-Sdk <= 0.6.3.

**Is there a fix for This vulnerability?** 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 This vulnerability attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected?** Check whether you run land.oras:oras-java-sdk (Maven) or ORAS Project Oras-Java-Sdk 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 the `ArchiveUtils.untar` and `ArchiveUtils.unzip` methods of `land.oras:oras-java-sdk` due to insufficient validation of symbolic link targets. While the library checks the entry name, it fails to validate the `linkName` of symlink entries. An attacker can provide a malicious OCI layer containing a symlink pointing outside the extraction directory, followed by a regular file that traverses this symlink. Because `Files.newOutputStream` is called without `LinkOption.NOFOLLOW_LINKS`, the subsequent write follows the symlink and overwrites files on the host system. This is reachable via the public `Registry.pullArtifact` and `OCILayout.pullArtifact` APIs when the `io.deis.oras.content.unpack=true` manifest layer is present. The vulnerability is addressed in version 0.6.4.

## Affected products

- ORAS Project oras-java-sdk <= 0.6.3

## Timeline

- 2026-05-27: advisory: Initial advisory published
- 2026-07-01: other: Advisory updated

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot](https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot)
- [https://github.com/tonghuaroot](https://github.com/tonghuaroot)
- [https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/repos](https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/23011166?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/23011166?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/tonghuaroot/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [ORAS Java path traversal in pullArtifact via image title annotation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/oras-java-path-traversal-in-pullartifact-via-image-title-annotation-dada628e)