CVE-2026-35339

Description

The recursive mode (-R) of the chmod utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly handles exit codes when processing multiple files. The final return value is determined solely by the success or failure of the last file processed. This allows the command to return an exit code of 0 (success) even if errors were encountered on previous files, such as 'Operation not permitted'. Scripts relying on these exit codes may proceed under a false sense of success while sensitive files remain with restrictive or incorrect permissions.

CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0001

Probability of exploitation

0.02%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-253 CWE-253

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
uutils	coreutils	< 0.6.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/9793

Other References

https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35339? +

The recursive mode (-R) of the chmod utility in uutils coreutils incorrectly handles exit codes when processing multiple files. The final return value is determined solely by the success or failure of the last file processed. This allows the command to return an exit code of 0 (success) even if errors were encountered on previous files, such as 'Operation not permitted'. Scripts relying on these exit codes may proceed under a false sense of success while sensitive files remain with restrictive or incorrect permissions. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-35339? +

CVE-2026-35339 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0001, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-35339? +

CVE-2026-35339 affects products from uutils, specifically: coreutils. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-35339? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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