CVE-2026-35355

Description

The install utility in uutils coreutils is vulnerable to a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race condition during file installation. The implementation unlinks an existing destination file and then recreates it using a path-based operation without the O_EXCL flag. A local attacker can exploit the window between the unlink and the subsequent creation to swap the path with a symbolic link, allowing them to redirect privileged writes to overwrite arbitrary system files.

Predictions

Heuristic predictions, AS-IS, for prioritization only.

Mitigations

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35355
• https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/pull/10067
• https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/commit/b5bbabc18a1121908848d836f869a4e98eb63886
• https://github.com/uutils/coreutils
• https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/releases/tag/0.6.0
• https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-35355
• https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-v24v-f45g-w7jf