CVE-2026-19816
PackageKit: dnf5 backend ignores SIMULATE on RepoRemove
Description
A flaw was found in PackageKit. PackageKit skips the polkit authorization check for transactions carrying the SIMULATE (dry-run) flag. In the dnf5 backend, the RepoRemove handler ignores that contract and always executes the real transaction because its guard is written as (role == REPO_REMOVE || !SIMULATE), which is always true for RepoRemove. An unprivileged local user can therefore perform a genuine package uninstall while claiming to simulate. This vulnerability only affects systems using PackageKit with the dnf5 backend.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 14, 2026, 8:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 15, 2026, 7:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-19816
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 92fb86c3-55a5-4fb5-9c3f-4757b9e96dc5 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update PackageKit to the latest version.
- Ensure dnf5 backend authorization checks are correctly implemented.
- Apply vendor patches when available.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-19816.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-19816 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-19816
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-19816 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-19816 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Sep. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-19816', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-15T17:38:41.601204Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Sep. 14, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description A flaw was found in PackageKit. PackageKit skips the polkit authorization check for transactions carrying the SIMULATE (dry-run) flag. In the dnf5 backend, the RepoRemove handler ignores that contract and always executes the real transaction because its guard is written as (role == REPO_REMOVE || !SIMULATE), which is always true for RepoRemove. An unprivileged local user can therefore perform a genuine package uninstall while claiming to simulate. This vulnerability only affects systems using PackageKit with the dnf5 backend. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-863 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/19xxx/CVE-2026-19816.json">CVE-2026-19816</a> Added Reference https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2515940 Added Reference https://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/commit/33be77b3ecd3b566ca117358dc18c58c964e627b Added Reference https://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/security/advisories/GHSA-g5gf-h68q-gxc8