# CVE-2026-17435: File::Rotate::Simple versions before 0.4.0 for Perl create the target of dangling symlinks when rotating files

> An attacker can create arbitrary files with elevated permissions via dangling symlinks if the touch option is enabled.

- **Severity:** Low 2.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **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:** No
- **Published:** 7 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 11 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fpmm-8f6h-wv74

## What is CVE-2026-17435?

CVE-2026-17435 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in RRWO File::Rotate::Simple, published on 7 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

File::Rotate::Simple versions before 0.4.0 for Perl create the target of dangling symlinks when rotating files.

When the file to be rotated is a symbolic link to a missing file, and the touch option is enabled, then the rotate method assumes that the file is absent (since the existence check is against the target), and does not rotate it. But it touches the file, which creates the target.

An attacker that has the ability to create the symlink can use this to create an arbitrary file with permissions of the process rotating the files (which may be different from the process that normally writes to the log file that is being rotated).

Note that the touch option is disabled by default.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-17435?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-17435?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-17435 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-17435 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-17435 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-17435 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-17435 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in RRWO File::Rotate::Simple, published on 7 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-17435 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: RRWO File::Rotate::Simple. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-17435/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-17435/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-17435
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-17435
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-17435

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-17435/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.