CVE-2026-35338
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism.
Published Apr 22, 2026 · updated Jun 17, 2026 · uutils coreutils
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such as /../ or symbolic links to execute destructive recursive operations (e.g., chmod -R 000) on the entire root filesystem, leading to system-wide permission loss and potential complete system breakdown.
Code
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Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Apr 22, 2026 · NIST NVD
Detected
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such as /../ or symbolic links to execute destructive recursive operations (e.g., chmod -R 000) on the entire root filesystem
Jun 17, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such as /../ or symbolic links to execute destructive recursive operations (e.g., chmod -R 000) on the entire root filesystem
Affected
- cpe uutils/coreutilsversion unspecified
Sources
- CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-35338
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-35338
A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such
nvd.nist.gov