CVE-2026-64824
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedHome Assistant Core before 2026.7.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the backup-restore function that allows attackers to write files to arbitrary absolute filesystem paths by supplying a crafted tar archive with a SYMTYPE entry containing a benign member name paired with an absolute linkname pointing outside the extraction directory. Because the official Docker image runs the Home Assistant process as root and the subsequent regular-file entry is written through the unvalidated symlink, attackers can achieve remote code execution by overwriting auto-imported Python paths such as site-packages/sitecustomize.py or custom component directories.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceHome Assistant Core before 2026.7.0 has a path traversal vulnerability in its backup-restore function. Attackers craft a malicious tar archive containing a SYMTYPE (symlink) entry with an absolute linkname pointing outside the extraction directory. When the restore process writes subsequent regular files, they flow through the unvalidated symlink, allowing arbitrary file overwrite. Since the official Docker image runs as root, attackers can overwrite site-packages/sitecustomize.py or custom component directories to achieve remote code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Home Assistant Core installation and versionIdentify the Home Assistant installation (e.g., running 'ha core info' in Home Assistant OS, or checking the container/image version with 'docker ps' and 'docker inspect'). Compare the installed version against the fixed version 2026.7.0 - any version below 2026.7.0 is potentially vulnerable.Affected if The installed version is lower than 2026.7.0
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Determine if running in Docker as rootCheck the Docker container configuration: run 'docker inspect <container_id>' and look for the User field, or execute 'id' inside the container. The vulnerability requires root privileges to overwrite system paths.Affected if The Docker container runs as root (User field is empty or shows '0' or 'root')
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Verify backup-restore function is accessibleDetermine if the backup-restore functionality is exposed. In Home Assistant, this is typically accessible via the UI (Settings > System > Backups) or API endpoint /api/backup. Check if this interface is reachable and not disabled.Affected if The backup-restore function is accessible (enabled and network-reachable)
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Inspect site-packages for unauthorized modificationsLocate the Python site-packages directory (commonly /usr/local/lib/python3.x/site-packages/ inside the container). Check for unexpected or recently modified files, particularly sitecustomize.py or any .py files with suspicious content in the root of site-packages.Affected if Any unexpected Python files exist in site-packages, especially sitecustomize.py or files you did not install
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Check custom components for suspicious filesIdentify the custom_components directory (typically /config/custom_components/ in the volume mounted from host). List all subdirectories and files. Look for unfamiliar components or recently added files that you did not create.Affected if Unknown custom component directories or files exist that you did not create
You are affected if running Home Assistant Core version lower than 2026.7.0, the Docker container runs as root, the backup-restore function is accessible, AND either unexpected Python files appear in site-packages or unknown custom components exist on the system.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade to Home Assistant Core 2026.7.0 or later, which should include proper validation of symlink targets within tar archives during backup restore.
Home Assistant Core 2026.7.0
- 1. Backup your current Home Assistant configuration and data
- 2. If using Docker, pull the latest Home Assistant Core 2026.7.0 image: docker pull homeassistant/home-assistant:2026.7.0
- 3. Stop the current Home Assistant container or service
- 4. Upgrade Home Assistant Core to version 2026.7.0 or later using your installation method (Docker, pip, or OS)
- 5. Restart Home Assistant service
- 6. Verify the backup-restore functionality works correctly with the patched version
- 7. Test that the application runs normally after upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-64824 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-64824 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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