CVE-2026-35349: coreutils — Fix

Description

A vulnerability in the rm utility of uutils coreutils allows a bypass of the --preserve-root protection. The implementation uses a path-string check rather than comparing device and inode numbers to identify the root directory. An attacker or accidental user can bypass this safeguard by using a symbolic link that resolves to the root directory (e.g., /tmp/rootlink -> /), potentially leading to the unintended recursive deletion of the entire root filesystem.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.7

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0002

Probability of exploitation

0.03%

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-59 CWE-59

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
uutils	coreutils	< 0.7.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/9706

Other References

https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.7.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-35349? +

A vulnerability in the rm utility of uutils coreutils allows a bypass of the --preserve-root protection. The implementation uses a path-string check rather than comparing device and inode numbers to identify the root directory. An attacker or accidental user can bypass this safeguard by using a symbolic link that resolves to the root directory (e.g., /tmp/rootlink -> /), potentially leading to the unintended recursive deletion of the entire root filesystem. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-35349? +

CVE-2026-35349 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0002, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-35349? +

CVE-2026-35349 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-2026-35349? +

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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