CVE-2026-35338
uutils coreutils chmod Path Traversal Bypass of --preserve-root
Description
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.
INFO
Published Date :
April 22, 2026, 5:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
April 22, 2026, 5:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-35338
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.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | cc1ad9ee-3454-478d-9317-d3e869d708bc | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update uutils coreutils to the latest version.
- Apply security patches for coreutils.
- Test the chmod --preserve-root functionality.
- Verify path canonicalization in chmod.
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-2026-35338.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/10033 | |
| https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-35338 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-2026-35338
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-2026-35338 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-35338 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.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Apr. 22, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description 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. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-22 Added Reference https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/10033 Added Reference https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0