GitHub Advisoryadvisory · crates.io

GHSA-4c7q-4928-8445 chmod: --preserve-root bypassed by any path that resolves to root (e.g. /../)

HIGH Published 2026-07-06 Modified 2026-07-06 Official page ↗
Aliases
CVE-2026-35338
Ecosystem
crates.io
Packages
uu_chmod
Severity
High
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weaknesses
CWE-22, CWE-59
Reviewed
2026-07-06

Affected packages

• crates.io uu_chmod: < 0.6.0 → fixed in 0.6.0

Description

`Chmoder::chmod()` only compares the literal argument against `Path::new("/")`, so the `--preserve-root` guard is bypassed by any path that *resolves* to root — a symlink to `/` or simply `/../`. ``` if self.recursive && self.preserve_root && file == Path::new("/") { return Err(ChmodError::PreserveRoot("/".to_string()).into()); } ``` PoC — recursively chmods the entire filesystem to `000` despite `--preserve-root`: ``` chmod -R --preserve-root 000 /../ -v ``` Impact: `--preserve-root` is the documented safeguard against destructive recursive operations on `/`. Bypassing it allows `chmod -R` to alter permissions across the whole filesystem, causing a complete system breakdown. Recommendation: canonicalize the target path before comparing against root. Remediation: Acknowledged by Canonical; fixed in commit 413055b3. --- _Reported by Zellic in the *uutils coreutils Program Security Assessment* (prepared for Canonical, Jan 20 2026), audited commit `3a07ffc5a9bd4c283e75afa548ba1f1957bad242`. Finding 3.1. Credit: Zellic._

Related

Alias · CVE (1)

  • CVE-2026-35338 A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. vulnerability

Weakness · CWE (2)

  • CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory weakness
  • CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access weakness

References