# CVE-2026-35338: uutils coreutils chmod Path Traversal Bypass of --preserve-root

> Attackers can bypass root protection in chmod via path traversal, causing system-wide permission loss and denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 24 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-35338, GHSA-4c7q-4928-8445, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-35338

## What is CVE-2026-35338?

CVE-2026-35338 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Uutils coreutils, published on 22 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the chmod utility of uutils coreutils allows users to bypass the --preserve-root safety mechanism. The implementation only validates if the target path is literally / and does not canonicalize the path. An attacker or accidental user can use path variants such as /../ or symbolic links to execute destructive recursive operations (e.g., chmod -R 000) on the entire root filesystem, leading to system-wide permission loss and potential complete system breakdown.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35338?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including uu_chmod. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `uu_chmod` | crates.io | All versions | 0.6.0 |
| `uu_chmod` | crates.io | All versions | 0.6.0 |

Products: Uutils Coreutils.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-35338?

Upgrade uu_chmod to 0.6.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-35338 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Uutils coreutils

- [CVE-2026-35368](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35368/): uutils coreutils chroot Local Privilege Escalation and chroot Escape in via Name Service Switch (NSS) Injection (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2026-35341](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35341/): uutils coreutils mkfifo Unauthorized Permission Change on Existing Files (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2026-35352](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35352/): uutils coreutils mkfifo Privilege Escalation via TOCTOU Race Condition (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2026-35349](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35349/): uutils coreutils Path-Based Safety Bypass with --preserve-root (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2026-35350](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35350/): uutils coreutils cp Unexpected Privileged Executable Creation with -p (medium 6.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-35338 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-35338 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Uutils coreutils, published on 22 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-35338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- uu_chmod (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.6.0
- uu_chmod (crates.io): affected all versions; fixed in 0.6.0

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-2026-35338/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35338/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-35338
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35338
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-35338

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35338/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.