CVE-2026-15059 systemd-oomd: unprivileged users can terminate arbitrary processes

Medium 5.5 Published Updated

Local unprivileged users can terminate arbitrary processes via a path traversal flaw in systemd-oomd's IPC API.

Exploited in the wild
Not known
Login needed
Any signed-in user
Attackable
Local or same network only
Victim action needed
Not needed
Fix
Available

What is CVE-2026-15059?

CVE-2026-15059 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in systemd-oomd, published on 10 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

Local unprivileged users can terminate arbitrary local processes via a systemd-oomd IPC API due to a missing path traversal validation.

Weakness: CWE-59, CWE-22

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-15059?

Linux distribution packages (21)
systemd Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-boot-unsigned Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-container Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-devel Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-journal-remote Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-libs Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-networkd Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-networkd-defaults Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-oomd-defaults Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-pam Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-resolved Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-rpm-macros Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-shared Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-standalone-repart Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-standalone-shutdown Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-standalone-sysusers Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-standalone-tmpfiles Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-sysusers Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-tests Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-udev Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1
systemd-ukify Red Hat:hummingbird:1All versions0:261.2-1.hum1

How do I fix CVE-2026-15059?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.

Is CVE-2026-15059 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-15059 exists.

Sources

Also known as AZL-95640, AZL-95646, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-15059, ECHO-1f2a-a632-ee71, RHSA-2026:46016, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-15059.

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