CVE-2026-76055: Black Duck C/C++ Package Manager RCE Flaw

CVE-2026-76055 Overview

CVE-2026-76055 is an OS command injection vulnerability [CWE-78] in the package manager component of Black Duck blackduck-c-cpp versions before 3.0.7. The flaw allows an actor who can create a file within the scanned build directory to execute operating system commands as the account running the scan. Filesystem paths encountered during directory traversal are interpolated into shell command strings without quoting or escaping. Shell metacharacters embedded in those paths are interpreted rather than treated as literal text. Exploitation does not require control over the build command or the tool's configuration.

Critical Impact
An attacker who can place a specially named file in the scanned build directory executes arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of the scanning account, which in continuous integration pipelines is often a privileged build service identity.

Affected Products

Black Duck blackduck-c-cpp versions prior to 3.0.7
The package manager component invoked during C/C++ project scans
Continuous integration pipelines that execute blackduck-c-cpp against untrusted source trees

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-24 - CVE-2026-76055 published to NVD
2026-08-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-76055

Vulnerability Analysis

The blackduck-c-cpp tool scans a build directory to identify open source components used in native code projects. During package manager operations, the tool walks the filesystem and constructs command lines that include the paths it discovers. Those command lines are executed through a shell. Because the paths are inserted into the command string without quoting or escaping, any shell metacharacter present in a filename or directory name is parsed by the shell as syntax. An attacker who can drop a file with a crafted name into the scan target reaches command execution the next time a scan runs. The scanning account is the execution context, which in build automation typically has access to source repositories, signing keys, and pipeline secrets.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe shell interpolation of untrusted filesystem input [CWE-78]. Paths returned by directory traversal are concatenated into command strings and passed to a shell interpreter instead of being supplied as argument vectors to a direct process invocation. Characters such as `, $( ), ;, &&, and | embedded in a filename produce subshells or chain additional commands.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local write access to any location the scan traverses. An attacker with commit rights to a source repository, or any process able to write into the build workspace, plants a file whose name contains shell metacharacters and a payload. When blackduck-c-cpp scans the workspace, the payload executes as the scan user. No interaction with the tool's configuration, build command, or invocation flags is required. See the Black Duck Security Advisory CVE-2026-76054/55 for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-76055

Indicators of Compromise

Files or directories inside build workspaces whose names contain shell metacharacters such as `, $(, ;, |, or &&
Unexpected child processes spawned by blackduck-c-cpp or its Python entry point during a scan
Outbound network connections initiated by the scan account to unfamiliar hosts during or immediately after a scan
New files, cron entries, or SSH keys written by the scan service account outside the workspace

Detection Strategies

Alert on process trees where blackduck-c-cpp is the parent of shells, interpreters, or network utilities such as curl, wget, nc, or bash -c
Inventory filenames in repositories and build artifacts for shell metacharacters before scans execute
Correlate scan job start times with process and network telemetry from the build agent

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward build agent process, file, and network telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for retention and correlation
Baseline the normal child-process set for blackduck-c-cpp invocations and alert on deviations
Monitor for privilege use by the scan service account outside expected scan directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-76055

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade blackduck-c-cpp to version 3.0.7 or later across all build agents and developer workstations
Audit build workspaces and source repositories for existing files whose names contain shell metacharacters
Rotate credentials, tokens, and signing keys accessible to the scan service account if suspicious process activity is observed
Restrict write access to scanned directories to trusted identities only

Patch Information

Black Duck resolved the issue in blackduck-c-cpp3.0.7. Install the fixed release from the Black Duck C/C++ project page on PyPI and verify the version in every pipeline image. Consult the Black Duck Security Advisory CVE-2026-76054/55 for vendor guidance.

Workarounds

Run blackduck-c-cpp under a dedicated, least-privileged service account with no access to secrets or production credentials
Execute scans inside ephemeral, isolated containers that are destroyed after each run
Reject repository content containing filenames with shell metacharacters through pre-commit hooks or CI validation
Block outbound network egress from build agents to anything outside the required package and scan endpoints

bash

# Configuration example
pip install --upgrade 'blackduck-c-cpp>=3.0.7'
blackduck-c-cpp --version