CVE-2026-87690Metasploit Framework ios_image_gather Path Traversal Leading to Arbitrary File Write and Code Execution
- 8.8HighCVSS base score
- 0.41%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 64% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
The Metasploit Framework post module post/apple_ios/gather/ios_image_gather is affected by a relative path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22). The module interpolates file names taken from a Meterpreter directory listing — data fully controlled by a hostile or tampered iOS device — directly into the local destination path passed to client.fs.file.download_file(), with no sanitization. The underlying stdapi sink (lib/rex/post/meterpreter/extensions/stdapi/fs/file.rb) writes to whatever path is supplied, so a listing entry such as ../../msfconsole.rc escapes the intended ~/.msf4/loot/<random> directory and overwrites ~/.msf4/msfconsole.rc, a resource file that every msfconsole invocation automatically executes at startup (lib/msf/ui/console/driver.rb:196). An attacker-controlled device that lures an operator into running this gather module achieves an arbitrary file write as the operator; because the written msfconsole.rc can load a second written file (a Ruby plugin whose top-level code runs on require), this converts into persistent code execution and an interactive shell as the operator (frequently root) on the pentester's workstation at the next console launch. The same traversal was previously fixed upstream in the recursive downloader (stdapi/fs/dir.rb scrubs separators); this module omitted the equivalent scrub. The fix applies the same separator scrub (or File.basename) to listing entries before building the local path.
Timeline
ID reserved
By rapid7
- 34 days later
· 34 days later
Published
- 2 days later
· 2 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| rapid7CNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Awaiting Analysis | 3.1 | High8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.41% · top 64% of all CVEs (14 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 8.8.
Affected products
- affected < 6.5.5
- unaffected 6.5.5
What to do
Solution: https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/releases/tag/6.5.5
References
References4
- Metasploit Framework 6.5.5 Release Notes (opens in a new tab)release-notespatch
- Metasploit Framework PR #21880 (fix for ios_image_gather path traversal) (opens in a new tab)patchissue-tracking
- Metasploit Wrap-Up: Belgian Waffles, Chocolates, and Modules Frites (opens in a new tab)vendor-advisorytechnical-description
- Metasploit Framework source repository (opens in a new tab)product
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-97177 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-87690)Record last updated .