CVE-2026-100310

Received Received - Intake

Privilege Escalation via Malicious Plugin in GNU libextractor

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

GNU libextractor before 1.16 loads plugins from an untrusted search path specified by the LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX environment variable without proper privilege checks. A local attacker can exploit this by setting LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX to a directory containing a malicious plugin that executes arbitrary code with elevated privileges when loaded by a setuid or setgid program.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-25

Last Modified

2026-09-25

Generated

2026-09-26

AI Q&A

2026-09-26

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-100310

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
gnu	libextractor	to 1.16 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-426	The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects GNU libextractor before version 1.16. It allows a local attacker to manipulate the LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX environment variable to load malicious plugins from an untrusted directory. When a setuid or setgid program loads these plugins, arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges occurs due to improper privilege checks.

Detection Guidance

Check if libextractor is installed and inspect environment variables for LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX. Look for setuid/setgid programs using libextractor. Commands: env | grep LIBEXTRACTOR_PREFIX, find / -perm -4000 -type f -exec ldd {} \; 2>/dev/null | grep libextractor

Impact Analysis

If you use a system with GNU libextractor before 1.16, a local attacker could gain elevated privileges by exploiting this flaw. This could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise, especially on systems running setuid or setgid programs that rely on libextractor.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or data breaches, violating confidentiality requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Organizations using affected versions may face compliance violations, legal penalties, and reputational damage due to potential exposure of sensitive data.

Mitigation Strategies

Update libextractor to version 1.16 or later. Remove or restrict write access to directories that could contain malicious plugins. Avoid using setuid/setgid programs with libextractor until patched.

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