GHSA-f63g-88cj-hjf9
IzPack has Path Traversal in UnpackerBase that allows writing files outside the installation directory via malicious pack entries
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | org.codehaus.izpack:izpack-installer | < 5.2.7 | 5.2.7 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Summary
IzPack's `UnpackerBase.unpack()` resolves pack-file target paths without any
canonical-path or directory-containment check. An attacker who distributes a
trojanized installer JAR (the format is unsigned) can include pack entries whose
`targetPath` contains `../` sequences. When a victim runs the installer the
file is written to an attacker-chosen location on disk under the victim's
privileges — including startup folders, PATH directories, or system locations.
### Details
**Vulnerable method:** `com.izforge.izpack.installer.unpacker.UnpackerBase.unpack()`
**Source file:** `izpack-installer/src/main/java/com/izforge/izpack/installer/unpacker/UnpackerBase.java`
**Vulnerable lines (5.2.4):** ~618–627
The relevant code path is:
```java
String targetPath = packFile.getTargetPath(); // attacker-controlled
String path = IoHelper.translatePath(targetPath, variables); // separator swap ONLY
File target = new File(path); // no canonical check
// ... mkdirs() then file is written to `target`
```
`IoHelper.translatePath()` (source: `izpack-util/.../IoHelper.java`) performs
**only** file-separator character conversion (`'/'` ↔ `File.separatorChar`) and
contains no security validation whatsoever. There is no call to
`getCanonicalPath()`, no `startsWith(installDir)` containment check, and no
normalisation of `..` segments.
Because IzPack installer JARs carry **no digital signature**, an attacker can
repack any legitimate installer with malicious `PackFile` entries. The file
format is a standard ZIP with serialised resources — no integrity protection.
**Confirmed unpatched in HEAD (fetched from GitHub, 2025):**
```
git show HEAD:izpack-installer/src/main/java/com/izforge/izpack/installer/unpacker/UnpackerBase.java \
| grep -n 'getCanonicalPath\|startsWith.*install\|traversal'
# (no output — fix not present)
```
### PoC
```bash
# 1. Clone IzPack source and view the vulnerable code directly
git clone --depth=1 --branch izpack-5.2.4 https://github.com/izpack/izpack.git
sed -n '615,650p' izpack/izpack-installer/src/main/java/com/izforge/izpack/installer/unpacker/UnpackerBase.java
# 2. Compile and run the following Java reproducer (no IzPack classpath needed):
```
```java
// TestPathTraversal.java
import java.io.*;
public class TestPathTraversal {
// Exact replication of IoHelper.translatePath() — separator swap, no security
static String translatePath(String destination) {
return destination.replace('/', File.separatorChar);
}
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
String installDir = "/tmp/izpack_install";
String maliciousPath = installDir + "/../../../tmp/ESCAPED_FILE";
// This is what UnpackerBase does:
String path = translatePath(maliciousPath);
File target = new File(path); // resolves traversal
target.getParentFile().mkdirs();
try (FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(target)) {
fw.write("Written outside install dir via IzPack path traversal\n");
}
System.out.println("File written to: " + target.getCanonicalPath());
System.out.println("Inside installDir: " +
target.getCanonicalPath().startsWith(new File(installDir).getCanonicalPath()));
}
}
```
```bash
javac TestPathTraversal.java && java TestPathTraversal
# Output: File written to: /tmp/ESCAPED_FILE
# Inside installDir: false
```
### Impact
Any user who runs an IzPack-generated installer is affected. The attacker only
needs to distribute a repackaged installer — a common social-engineering vector.
On Windows (the primary IzPack platform) the victim typically runs the installer
as a local administrator, so the attacker can write to `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup`,
`%SystemRoot%\System32`, or any other location reachable by the victim user.
On Linux/macOS the same applies for user-writable locations.
No authentication, no special privileges and no interaction beyond running the
installer are required on the victim side.
### Credits
This issue was identified by Michał Majchrowicz, Marcin Wyczechowski, and Paweł Zdunek, members of the AFINE Team.
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack/security/advisories/GHSA-f63g-88cj-hjf9
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54550
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack/pull/1193
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack/commit/4233ba38d0f1825f9cf3e0204e5261a5498e29d8
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack/commit/8b7c6792c4fe85e3b1759c106aae39b904848466
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack
- https://github.com/izpack/izpack/releases/tag/izpack-5.2.7