Unauthorized file creation via symlink dereference
Published Apr 22, 2026 · Updated Apr 22, 2026
Link following in uutils coreutils before 0.8.0 allows local users to redirect privileged file creation through a crafted symlink. The ln utility honors --no-dereference only when --force is also set, so ln -n follows a destination symlink to a directory and creates the link inside it. Exploitation requires a privileged user or system script to invoke ln -n against an attacker-controlled destination, resulting in unauthorized file creation or system misconfiguration.
Summary
What happened
Link following in uutils coreutils before 0.8.0 allows local users to redirect privileged file creation through a crafted symlink. The ln utility honors --no-dereference only when --force is also set, so ln -n follows a destination symlink to a directory and creates the link inside it. Exploitation requires a privileged user or system script to invoke ln -n against an attacker-controlled destination, resulting in unauthorized file creation or system misconfiguration.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-35372
- Published
- Apr 22, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 22, 2026
- Vendor
- uutils
- Product
- coreutils
- Classifications
- CWE-59, CWE-61
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 22, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <0.8.0
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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Your stack
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