CVE-2026-35338
uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism
7.3
HIGH
CVSS 3.1
EPSS 0.01%
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.
How to fix CVE-2026-35338
To remediate CVE-2026-35338, upgrade the affected package to a fixed version below.
- —upgrade to 0.6.0 or later
- —no fix listed
Is CVE-2026-35338 being exploited?
Low — EPSS is 0.0%, meaning exploitation activity has not been observed at scale.
Affected packages (2)
- from 0, < 0.6.0
- from 0
CVSS scores
| Source | Version | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| osv | CVSS 3.1 | HIGH7.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |