CVE-2026-80663

Local arbitrary file overwrite via pidfile symlink

Published Aug 28, 2026 · Updated Aug 28, 2026

Link following in Linux intel-speed-select allows local users to overwrite attacker-chosen files through the daemon pidfile. The daemonize function opens a fixed pidfile under /tmp with O_CREAT but without O_NOFOLLOW, then locks and writes through the resulting descriptor. Exploitation requires a local unprivileged user to pre-create the path as a symlink before a root-run daemon starts; the bounded result is an attacker-directed privileged file write.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link following in Linux intel-speed-select allows local users to overwrite attacker-chosen files through the daemon pidfile. The daemonize function opens a fixed pidfile under /tmp with O_CREAT but without O_NOFOLLOW, then locks and writes through the resulting descriptor. Exploitation requires a local unprivileged user to pre-create the path as a symlink before a root-run daemon starts; the bounded result is an attacker-directed privileged file write.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-80663
Published
Aug 28, 2026
Updated
Aug 28, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 28, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.18
  2. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <19ffeb30fdfce63f8d6aca71bcdddb3f69d46278
  3. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <607af438e6430893a822964c841a1994b33acccc
  4. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <72a07abc6b9046f07a08bba353cad7667bcc9dce
  5. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <905493a6338c82a70da16f86e0a6215db5a3d73d
  6. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <db938eb9a3c1317596c28e94413b33426508d51b
  7. Affected versionversion=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <e8adac69d1bdf035ef97cc914e845acd4ef08e28

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.18; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <19ffeb30fdfce63f8d6aca71bcdddb3f69d46278; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <607af438e6430893a822964c841a1994b33acccc; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <72a07abc6b9046f07a08bba353cad7667bcc9dce; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <905493a6338c82a70da16f86e0a6215db5a3d73d; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <db938eb9a3c1317596c28e94413b33426508d51b; version=7fd786dfbd2c55ddee3b87f33c82f1c58bdb1dd6 <e8adac69d1bdf035ef97cc914e845acd4ef08e28

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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