CVE-2026-96281
Flatpak: flatpak: unprivileged active user can bypass anti-downgrade checks for system apps/runtimes
Description
On a multi-user system, a user with an active local login session could downgrade a system-wide Flatpak app to an older version by removing the app's remote ref via the unprivileged system-helper RemoveLocalRef method, causing the anti-downgrade check to fail to find a reference date. A malicious local user could use this to expose other users of the same system to an app version with unfixed vulnerabilities.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 27, 2026, 9:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 27, 2026, 10:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-96281
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 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the system-helper component.
- Apply relevant security patches.
- Ensure anti-downgrade checks are enforced.
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-2026-96281.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-96281 | |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2539421 | |
| https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/security/advisories/GHSA-q4gr-vc25-57m5 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-96281 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-2026-96281
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-2026-96281 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-96281 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 [email protected]
Sep. 27, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:P/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added Affected Affected value modified. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/96xxx/CVE-2026-96281.json">CVE-2026-96281</a> -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Sep. 27, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description On a multi-user system, a user with an active local login session could downgrade a system-wide Flatpak app to an older version by removing the app's remote ref via the unprivileged system-helper RemoveLocalRef method, causing the anti-downgrade check to fail to find a reference date. A malicious local user could use this to expose other users of the same system to an app version with unfixed vulnerabilities. Added CWE CWE-284 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/96xxx/CVE-2026-96281.json">CVE-2026-96281</a> Added Reference https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-96281 Added Reference https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2539421 Added Reference https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/security/advisories/GHSA-q4gr-vc25-57m5