# CVE-2026-32147: SFTP chroot bypass via path traversal in SSH_FXP_FSETSTAT

> Authenticated SFTP users can bypass chroot restrictions to modify file attributes outside the sandbox, potentially leading to privilege escalation if the daemon runs as root.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:L/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-84065, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-32147, EEF-CVE-2026-32147, GHSA-28jg-mw9x-hpm5, OESA-2026-2940, OESA-2026-2941, SUSE-SU-2026:3951-1, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-32147

## What is CVE-2026-32147?

CVE-2026-32147 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Erlang OTP, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Erlang OTP ssh (ssh_sftpd module) allows an authenticated SFTP user to modify file attributes outside the configured chroot directory.

The SFTP daemon (ssh_sftpd) stores the raw, user-supplied path in file handles instead of the chroot-resolved path. When SSH_FXP_FSETSTAT is issued on such a handle, file attributes (permissions, ownership, timestamps) are modified on the real filesystem path, bypassing the root directory boundary entirely.

Any authenticated SFTP user on a server configured with the root option can modify file attributes of files outside the intended chroot boundary. The prerequisite is that a target file must exist on the real filesystem at the same relative path. Note that this vulnerability only allows modification of file attributes; file contents cannot be read or altered through this attack vector.

If the SSH daemon runs as root, this enables direct privilege escalation: an attacker can set the setuid bit on any binary, change ownership of sensitive files, or make system configuration world-writable.

This vulnerability is associated with program files lib/ssh/src/ssh_sftpd.erl and program routines ssh_sftpd:do_open/4 and ssh_sftpd:handle_op/4.

This issue affects OTP from OTP 17.0 before OTP 28.4.3, OTP 27.3.4.11 and OTP 26.2.5.20, corresponding to ssh from 3.0.1 before 5.5.3, 5.2.11.7 and 5.1.4.15.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-32147?

It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `erlang` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP7 | All versions | 23.3.4.19-150300.3.42.1 |

Products: Erlang Erlang\/Otp, Erlang Erlang\/Ssh.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-32147?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-32147 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-32147 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Erlang OTP

- [CVE-2022-37026](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-37026/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-10253](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10253/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-55953](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55953/): TLS 1.2 and DTLS client accepts unoffered anonymous cipher suite, bypassing server authentication (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-49759](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49759/): Stack buffer overflow in SCTP error cause parsing in inet_drv allows remote VM crash (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-58227](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58227/): TLS/DTLS denial of service via unbounded recursion on cross-signed peer certificate chain (high 8.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-32147 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-32147 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Erlang OTP, published on 21 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-32147 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Erlang OTP. 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-2026-32147/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32147/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-32147
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-32147
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32147

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-32147/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.