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🛡️ CVE-2026-35349 — coreutils

🟡 CVSS 6.7 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit CWE-59 OSV
6.7
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

rm: --preserve-root bypassed via a symlink to / (string check instead of dev/inode)

The --preserve-root check uses a path-string test (path.has_root() && path.parent().is_none()) rather than comparing device/inode. A symlink to / (e.g. /tmp/rootlink -> /) has a parent component, so it passes the check. GNU caches /'s dev/inode at startup and compares every traversed directory against it.

Impact: rm -rf --preserve-root on a path that resolves through a symlink to / bypasses protection and can delete system directories. Recommendation: compare each entered directory's dev/inode against cached /.

Remediation: Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in commit 5e5968cd.

_Reported by Zellic in the *uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment* (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit 3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242. Finding 3.44. Credit: Zellic._

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is high, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity high, availability high.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Local — a local account, shell or session on the host is needed.
  • Attack complexity: High — the attacker first has to win a race, learn a secret or otherwise prepare the target.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: None.
  • Integrity impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.
  • Availability impact: High — total loss, or loss the attacker controls.

Weakness class

CVE-2026-35349 is classified as CWE-59: Link Following. The software follows symbolic or hard links without verifying their target, so a planted link can redirect an operation to a sensitive file.

Affected software

CVE-2026-35349 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • coreutils
  • uu-rm

Timeline and source

Published on 22 April 2026 and last revised on 6 July 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from OSV.

References

nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
github.com (Web)
github.com (Web)
github.com (Package)
github.com (Web)

Other advisories for this package

coreutils has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-59: Link Following) in other software:

CVE-2026-35349 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity MEDIUM
CVSS Score 6.7
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
CWE CWE-59
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source OSV
Published 2026-04-22
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-07-06

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
coreutils — —
uu-rm — —

Similar Threats

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ⓘ Data Notice: The information presented above has been compiled from publicly available internet sources. Boteraser aggregates this data solely for informational purposes and does not independently classify, evaluate, or endorse any findings about the vulnerabilities listed. The accuracy and completeness of this information is the sole responsibility of the original publishers. Boteraser and its operators accept no liability for any decisions made based on this data.

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