uutils coreutils install Arbitrary File Overwrite via Symlink TOCTOU Race
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-35355 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | canonical |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-04-22 17:16:37 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-04-22 21:23:52 UTC |
| Description | The install utility in uutils coreutils is vulnerable to a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition during file installation. The implementation unlinks an existing destination file and then recreates it using a path-based operation without the O_EXCL flag. A local attacker can exploit the window between the unlink and the subsequent creation to swap the path with a symbolic link, allowing them to redirect privileged writes to overwrite arbitrary system files. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 6.3 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Problem Types: CWE-367 | CWE-367 CWE-367: Time-of-Check Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 6.3 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 6.3 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
HighPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Vendor Declared Affected Products
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/10067 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | github.com | |
| github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0 | [email protected] | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Zellic (en)
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.