CVE-2026-35338
Publication date 22 April 2026
Last updated 14 May 2026
Ubuntu priority
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.
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| rust-coreutils | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 25.10 questing |
Vulnerable
|
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Vulnerable
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release |
Severity score breakdown
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Base score |
7.3 · High
|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |