CVE-2026-118485
HIGHDescription
Axel Download Accelerator 2.17.14 and earlier performs URL percent-decoding (http_decode()) on the output filename after the URL has been parsed and the filename component extracted. This allows an attacker to embed %2e%2e%2f (URL-encoded ../) sequences in the URL path. These sequences survive the URL parser intact (they contain no literal / characters) but are decoded into directory traversal sequences before the output file is opened for writing. As a result, a crafted URL can cause axel to write downloaded content to arbitrary filesystem paths relative to the current working directory.
How to fix
No published remediation has been found for this vulnerability's affected products yet.
Mitigation guidance may be in the linked vendor advisories in the References section below.
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CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
EPSS data unavailable for this CVE.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-24 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-39813 | Critical | 9.8 | 22% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2022-38129 | Critical | 9.8 | 22% | - | - |
| CVE-2025-60344 | High | 8.6 | 11% | - | - |
| CVE-2021-33036 | High | 8.8 | 4.0% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2023-1800 | High | 7.3 | 3.6% | - | - |
| CVE-2025-54769 | High | 8.8 | 3.4% | - | - |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-118485?
No published fix for CVE-2026-118485 has been found yet. Check the linked vendor advisories for guidance as it becomes available.
How severe is CVE-2026-118485?
CVE-2026-118485 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.1, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-10-28.