MEDIUM CVSS 4.7
Published: 2026-06-29

CVE-2026-41991

gnu gzip Security Advisory (CVE-2026-41991)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-41991 impacting gnu gzip. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 4.7 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
GNU gzip contains a vulnerability in the gzexe utility related to insecure temporary file handling. When the mktemp utility is not available in the user’s PATH, gzexe falls back to constructing a temporary file path based solely on the process ID (PID). This predictable filename is created without exclusive access or existence checks. A local attacker can pre‑create the predicted temporary file path as a symbolic link pointing to an arbitrary file writable by the victim. When gzexe runs, it follows the symlink and overwrites the target file, resulting in a time‑of‑check to time‑of‑use (TOCTOU) condition that allows arbitrary file overwrite. This issue has been fixed in the commit 4e6f8b24ab823146ab8776f0b7fe486ab34d4269

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gnu / gzip
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-377

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-41991 impacting gnu gzip.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-41991.yaml
id: cve-2026-41991

info:
  name: gnu gzip - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-41991 affecting gnu gzip.
    Evaluation: GNU gzip contains a vulnerability in the gzexe utility related to insecure temporary file handling. When the mktemp utility is not available in the us...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-41991
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 4.7
    cve-id: CVE-2026-41991
    cwe-id: CWE-377
  tags: cve,cve-2026-41991,gnu,gzip,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "gzip"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-41991.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-41991
# Target: gnu gzip | CVSS: 4.7 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-41991 (gnu gzip)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against gnu gzip scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-41991.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-41991
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install gzip 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade gzip 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update gzip

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i gzip 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i gzip

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-41991 in gnu gzip?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gnu gzip packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-41991?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-41991?

CVE-2026-41991 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.7 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
4.7
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-41991
Weakness CWE-377
Vendor gnu
Product gzip
Published 2026-06-29
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N