`CVE-2026-39973` Apktool

Affected software	Apktool
Severity	7.1 High CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`3.0.2`
Weakness	Path traversal (CWE-22)
Published	21 Apr 2026
Updated	26 Oct 2026

Description

Apktool is a tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. In versions 3.0.0 and 3.0.1, a path traversal vulnerability in brut/androlib/res/decoder/ResFileDecoder.java allows a maliciously crafted APK to write arbitrary files to the filesystem during standard decoding (apktool d). This is a security regression introduced in commit e10a045 (PR #4041, December 12, 2025), which removed the BrutIO.sanitizePath() call that previously prevented path traversal in resource file output paths. An attacker can embed ../ sequences in the resources.arsc Type String Pool to escape the output directory and write files to arbitrary locations, including ~/.ssh/config, ~/.bashrc, or Windows Startup folders, escalating to RCE. The fix in version 3.0.2 re-introduces BrutIO.sanitizePath() in ResFileDecoder.java before file write operations.

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. The 1 repository below are public GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC 1 indexed, none at 5+ stars
EPSS 0.18% chance in 30 days

1 of these are GitHub repositories with fewer than 5 stars. They are listed for reference and don't count toward the exploitation status above.

Index	Artifact	Stars	First seen
GitHub PoC	Proof of concept (builder) for CVE-2026-39973 (apktool)	3	2026-04-30

Index

Artifact

Stars

First seen

GitHub PoC

Proof of concept (builder) for CVE-2026-39973 (apktool)

2026-04-30

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full Path traversal
Action available security rule
Review automated Inferred
Record active

Decided by	A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Protected by Waratek's ARMR path-traversal security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-22: Path Traversal.
Candidate fix	https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3 : a commit: the change itself

Decided by

A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding

Protected by Waratek's ARMR path-traversal security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-22: Path Traversal.

Candidate fix

https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3 : a commit: the change itself

How to mitigate CVE-2026-39973

Upgrade Apktool to 3.0.2 or later. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its path traversal rule. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

7.1 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 7.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N security-advisories@github.com Secondary published

CVSS 3.1 7.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	7.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`	security-advisories@github.com	Secondary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apktool:apktool-lib 3.0.0 3.0.2 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apktool:apktool-lib`	3.0.0	`3.0.2`	unbounded

Products and versions

2 products, 2 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apktool	apktool	generic	≥ 3.0.0 and ＜ 3.0.2
osv	org.apktool	apktool-lib	generic	≥ 3.0.0 and ＜ 3.0.2

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apktool

generic

≥ 3.0.0 and ＜ 3.0.2

osv

org.apktool

apktool-lib

generic

≥ 3.0.0 and ＜ 3.0.2

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3	commit
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/security/advisories/GHSA-m8mh-x359-vm8m	WEB
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/pull/4041	WEB
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool	PACKAGE
https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/releases/tag/v3.0.2	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2026-04-21	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-10-26	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2026-04-21

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-10-26

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side no match Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven matched In scope Maven packages: org.apktool:apktool-lib

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (commit tier): https://github.com/iBotPeaches/Apktool/commit/e10a0450c7afcd9462c0b76bcbff0e7428b92bdd#diff-cd531ebe1014bfd18185bf21585ca5cdb16fbcb07703ebc47949a1b4e4e36bc3

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match decided it matched Protected by Waratek CWE-22 (Path Traversal) is mitigable by an ARMR path-traversal security rule.

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published skipped Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

apktool apktool not tracked cpe:2.3:a:apktool:apktool:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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