Description
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.
Published: 2026-10-28
Score: 7 High
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

Vendor Solution

Apply patch provided by Axel. Will be fixed in 2.17.16 as well

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description 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.
Title Axel Download Accelerator Path Traversal via URL Filename Decoding
First Time appeared Axel Download Accelerator
Axel Download Accelerator axel
Weaknesses CWE-24
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:axel_download_accelerator:axel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Axel Download Accelerator
Axel Download Accelerator axel
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}


Subscriptions

Axel Download Accelerator Axel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: OCD

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-28T11:26:59.053Z

Reserved: 2026-10-28T11:13:12.954Z

Link: CVE-2026-118485

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses