How to Fix CVE-2026-26228: Path traversal in VLC for Android

By Sai Kiran Pandrala. Last verified: 2026-05-25.

CVE-2026-26228 is a path traversal in VideoLAN VLC for Android. The fix is to apply the vendor patch noted below.

What is CVE-2026-26228?

VideoLAN VLC for Android prior to version 3.7.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability in the Remote Access Server routing for the authenticated endpoint GET /download. The file query parameter is concatenated into a filesystem path under the configured download directory without canonicalization or directory containment checks, allowing an authenticated attacker with network reachability to the Remote Access Server to request files outside the intended directory. The impact is bounded by the Android application sandbox and storage restrictions, typically limiting exposure to app-internal and app-specific external storage. The CVSS base score is 2.3 (Low). The official advisory is at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-android.html.

Am I affected?

Check the version of VLC for Android you are running and compare it against the Affected row above (VLC for Android 0 to <3.7.0). If your build sits inside the affected range, you must patch.

Run the version check that fits your platform:

# Linux package check
dpkg -s vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null
command -v vlc-for-android >/dev/null && vlc-for-android --version 2>/dev/null

# Windows (PowerShell)
Get-Package -Name "*VLC for Android*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name, Version
winget list --name "VLC for Android" 2>$null

How to fix CVE-2026-26228

Upgrade VLC for Android to a patched build: See vendor advisory. The vendor advisory is the source of truth for the exact fixed version.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade vlc-for-android
dpkg -s vlc-for-android | grep -i ^Version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky / AlmaLinux

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh vlc-for-android -y
# or for older releases:
sudo yum update vlc-for-android -y
rpm -q vlc-for-android

SUSE / openSUSE

sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update vlc-for-android
rpm -q vlc-for-android

Complete PowerShell remediation script (Windows)

# Fix script for CVE-2026-26228 affecting VLC for Android
# Run as administrator. Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$LogPath  = "C:\Logs\CVE-2026-26228-fix-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmmss).log"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $LogPath) | Out-Null
Start-Transcript -Path $LogPath -Append

try {
    Write-Host "[1/4] Detect installed version"
    $pkg = Get-Package -Name "*VLC for Android*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($pkg) { $pkg | Format-Table Name, Version }
    else { Write-Host "Not detected via Get-Package; try winget list" }

    Write-Host "[2/4] Backup configuration"
    $backup = "C:\Backup\vlc-for-android-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd)"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force $backup | Out-Null
    Get-ChildItem "C:\ProgramData\VLC for Android" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
        Copy-Item -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Write-Host "[3/4] Apply the upgrade to See vendor advisory"
    winget upgrade --name "VLC for Android" --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        # Fallback: pull latest via OS update channel
        Install-Module -Name PSWindowsUpdate -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Import-Module PSWindowsUpdate
        Install-WindowsUpdate -MicrosoftUpdate -AcceptAll -IgnoreReboot
    }

    Write-Host "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
    winget list --name "VLC for Android"
    Write-Host "Patch applied. Reboot if prompted."
    exit 0
} catch {
    Write-Error "Patch failed: $_"
    exit 1
} finally {
    Stop-Transcript
}

Complete Bash remediation script (Linux)

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Fix script for CVE-2026-26228 affecting VLC for Android
# Detect -> backup -> upgrade -> verify -> log.

set -euo pipefail
LOG="/var/log/cve-2026-26228-fix-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG") 2>&1

echo "[1/4] Detect installed version"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version || echo "vlc-for-android not installed via dpkg"
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q vlc-for-android || echo "vlc-for-android not installed via rpm"
fi

echo "[2/4] Backup configuration"
BACKUP="/root/backup-cve-2026-26228-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/vlc-for-android /etc/vlc-for-android.d /etc/vlc-for-android.conf; do
    [ -e "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" || true
done

echo "[3/4] Apply the upgrade (target: See vendor advisory)"
if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
    apt-get update
    apt-get install --only-upgrade -y vlc-for-android
elif command -v dnf >/dev/null; then
    dnf upgrade --refresh -y vlc-for-android
elif command -v yum >/dev/null; then
    yum update -y vlc-for-android
elif command -v zypper >/dev/null; then
    zypper --non-interactive update vlc-for-android
fi

echo "[4/4] Verify the patched build"
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null; then
    dpkg -s vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null; then
    rpm -q vlc-for-android
fi
echo "Done. Restart any service that loaded the old library."

If you can't patch immediately

Apply at least one of the following inline controls until you can deploy the patched build. None replace the upgrade.

Restrict exposure with nftables (Linux)

# Allow only trusted CIDR to reach the affected service ports
sudo nft add table inet filter 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add chain inet filter input { type filter hook input priority 0 ; }' 2>/dev/null || true
sudo nft 'add rule inet filter input tcp dport {80, 443} ip saddr != 10.0.0.0/8 drop'
sudo nft list ruleset

Block at the host firewall (Windows)

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-26228" -Direction Inbound -Action Block -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 80,443 -RemoteAddress Any -Enabled True
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block-CVE-2026-26228"

Disable the affected service (Linux)

sudo systemctl stop vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null || true
sudo systemctl disable vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null || true

If the vendor advisory lists an official workaround, prefer that wording verbatim. If no workaround is published, the only safe remediation is the patch.

How to verify the fix worked

After upgrading, confirm the installed version matches the patched build and that no old library is still loaded by a long-running process.

# Linux
dpkg -s vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null | grep -i ^Version
rpm -q vlc-for-android 2>/dev/null || true
# Pid map check for old library handles
sudo lsof +c0 2>/dev/null | grep -i "DEL.*lib" || true

# Windows
Get-Package -Name "*VLC for Android*" | Select-Object Name, Version
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 5

Expected: the reported version is at or above See vendor advisory. Restart the affected service (systemctl restart <service> on Linux, or restart the Windows service) so it loads the patched binary.

Frequently asked questions

Related fixes

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

• How to Fix CVE-2026-3291: Improper export of android application components in Samsung Print Service Plugin — Improper export of android application components in Samsung Print Service Plugin
• How to Fix CVE-2026-3822: Taipower｜Taipower APP(Android) - Improper Certificate Validation — Taipower｜Taipower APP(Android) - Improper Certificate Validation
• How to Fix CVE-2026-33856: Critical Vulnerability in Android-ImageMagick7 , Critical Vulnerability in Android-ImageMagick7
• How to Fix CVE-2026-20990: Improper Export of Android Application Components , Improper Export of Android Application Components
• How to Fix CVE-2026-32317: Critical Vulnerability in android , Critical Vulnerability in android

Is CVE-2026-26228 actively exploited?

There is no public confirmation of exploitation in the wild listed in CISA KEV at the time of this writing. Patch anyway. Public exploits commonly follow disclosure within weeks.

Do I need to reboot after patching CVE-2026-26228?

For kernel and OS-level updates, yes. For most userland packages a systemctl restart <service> is enough on Linux, and restarting the Windows service or app on Windows. Any process that loaded the old library keeps using it until restarted.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-26228?

2.3 (Low). Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N.

Where is the official advisory for CVE-2026-26228?

The vendor advisory is at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-android.html. The NVD record is at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26228.

References

• Official vendor advisory: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-android.html
• NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-26228
• CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• Additional reference: https://github.com/videolan/vlc-android/releases/tag/3.7.0
• Additional reference: https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/vlc-for-android-remote-access-path-traversal

*Written by Sai Kiran Pandrala. Assembled from the official vendor advisory, NVD record, and CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor's advisory before applying changes in production.*